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A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 


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She^s  a  nectarine  peach — 
a   Burbank   improvement    on 
U  ju    the  regular  variety." 


A  COMEDY 
OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

BY 

EMMA  GAVF 

ILLUSTRATED   BY  WALLACE  MORGAN 


Garden  City        New  York 

DOUBLEDAY,  PAGE  &  COMPANY 

1911 


ALL  RIGHTS  RESEKVED,  INCLUDING  THAT  OP  TRANSLATION 
INTO  FOREIGN  LANGUAGES,  INCLUDING  THE  SCANDINAVIAN 


COPySIGHT,  igil,  BY  DOUBLKOAY,  PACE  &  COltPANY 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTEB  FAQS 

I.  Tells  how  Mr.  Carmichael  pursues  his  destiny, 
of  an  adventure  with  a  suit  case,  and  a 
journey  all  too  brief     .         ,         .         .         ,  3 

II.  Shows  how  Mr.  Carmichael  enlists  his  friend 
Mr.  West  in  the  scheme  for  obtaining  an  in- 
vitation to  spend  the  Christmas  holidays  in 
Kentucky 21 

III.  Introduces  Mr.  Luke  Strange,  a  post-graduate 

and  a  Theologue  and  the  only  Louisville 
man  available;  and  relates  how  Mr.  Car- 
michael and  Mr.  West  warmed  to  him  with 
results  satisfactory  to  all  parties  .         .         28 

IV.  In  which  three  men  and  a  maid  travel  to  Ken- 

tucky, the  minister  in  the  lead,  until  an 
unfortunate  accident  restores  the  hero  to 
his  proper  place  before  the  footlights  .         43 

V.  At  the  Kent  home  in  Louisville.  Preparations 
for  a  Christmas  ball.  Mr.  William  West 
makes  the  most  of  his  opportunities  while 
his  friend  is  confined  to  his  room.  Christ- 
mas shopping  and  a  singular  conversation 
overheard  by  Jane.  Mrs.  Kent  and  Miss 
Donovan  discuss  Mr.  Strange  in  a  frivolous 
manner  after  dinner     .....         59 

VI.  Shows  how  the  wounded  hero,  chafing  at  his 
confinement,  makes  friends  with  Mrs.  Bin- 
kins  who  acts  as  Loves'  Messenger,  convey- 


2135381 


CONTENTS—  Continued 


PAOX 


ing  flowers  and  unsigned  notes  from  next 
door;  how  this  lady,  assisted  by  Mike 
Fahey,  the  policeman,  connives  at  an  act 
of  insubordination;  and  how  as  the  climax 
is  reached,  the  lights  go  out        ...         75 

VII.  The  Christmas  Ball  —  showing  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Strange  in  a  new  light,  and  discovering  to 
Jane  in  an  unexpected  manner  her  knight 
of  the  suit  case 99 

VIII.  The  Christmas  Ball  continued.  Mr.  Car- 
michael  finds  himself  at  a  disadvantage,  and 
seeks  an  opportunity  to  explain  .         .       108 

IX.  Relates  a  conversation  betweeen  Nixie  and 
Jane,  in  the  course  of  which  they  agree  to 
unite  forces,  and  afford  Mr.  Carmichael  the 
opportunity  he  desires         .         .         .        .122 

X.  In  which  the  entanglement  of  Mr.  Carmichael 

and  Miss  Donovan  scores  a  point        .         .       128 

XI.  In  which  the  truth  of  the  situation  begins  to 
dawn  on  Mr.  Carmichael,  in  consequence  of 
which  he  asserts  himself,  and  wins  one  bliss- 
ful afternoon 138 

XII.  Shows  how  too  many  opportunities  came 
knocking  at  the  door,  impelling  Mr.  Car- 
michael to  flight 151 

XIII.  Tells  of  the  last  evening  at  the  Rents',  relates 

three  important  conversations,  and  ends 
merrily  with  a  midnight  supper  .        .       i68 

XIV.  Tells  of    Mrs.  Binkins's  efforts  to  speed  the 

parting  guests,  and  of  the  cloud  no  larger 
than  a  girl's  hand  that  rises  upon  our  hero's 
horizon r        .       185 


CONTENTS— Con/tntt/i 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XV.  Showing  how  Angus  Carmichael  languished 
through  the  spring  term,  and  how  Billy 
West  resorted  to  stratagem  in  the  hope 
of  arousing  his  dormant  ambition      .         .       196 

XVI.  Tells  how  three  young  ladies,  products  of 
culture,  education  and  the  higher  life, 
bring  Mr.  Carmichael  to  a  realization  of 
his  awful  deficiencies  in  these  branches 
and  send  him  back  aroused  to  the  near- 
ness of  exams 206 

XVII.  Which  coming  a  bit  too  soon  to  be  an  epil- 
ogue, shall  be  the  posy  of  a  ring        .         .       214 

XVIII.  In  which  Mr.  Carmichael  is  discovered  on 
his  way  to  Kentucky;  and  Mrs.  Binkins's 
calendar  plays  her  false     ....       222 

XIX.  Which  is  all  owing  to  that  deceitful  calendar, 

but  is  not  so  sad  as  it  might  be  .         .232 

XX.  In  which  the  curtain  falls  upon  our  All  Star 

Cast 24$ 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

"She's  a  nectarine  peach — a  Burbank  improvement 

on  the  regular  variety"         ....       Frontispiece 

FACING  PAGE 

Behind  him  came  the   slender  young   woman   whom 

Angus  had  twice  seen 44 

"Your  tears,  or  hers.^"  inquired  Jane  after  a  glance 

at  the  card     ........  116 

"  I've  got  to  go  back  to  college  day  after  to-morrow. 
This  may  be  the  last  minute  we'll  have  alone 
together" 148 

"  By  the  way,  Janey,  what  has  become  of  our  two 

Yale  friends?" 236 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

"She's  a  nectarine  peach — a  Burbank  improvement 

on  the  regular  variety"         ....       Frontispiece 

FACING  PAGE 

Behind  him  came  the   slender  young   woman   whom 

Angus  had  twice  seen ^ 

"Your  tears,  or  hers?"  inquired  Jane  after  a  glance 

at  the  card     ........  ii6 


"  T» 


*  I've  got  to  go  back  to  college  day  after  to-morrow. 
This  may  be  the  last  minute  we'll  have  alone 
together" 148 

"  By  the  way,  Janey,  what  has  become  of  our  two 

Yale  friends?" 236 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 


A  Comedy  of  Circumstance 

CHAPTER  I 

Tells  how  Mr,  Carmichael  pursues  his  destiny; 
of  an  adventure  with  a  suit  case^  and 
a  journey  all  too  brief 

THE  matinees  were  just  over,  and  Broad- 
way breathed  that  vibrant,  tingling 
electric  atmosphere  which  is  created  when 
thousands  of  people  fill  the  streets  all  more 
or  less  swayed  by  the  influence  of  a  dramatic 
mood. 

White  lights  were  dancing  into  view  along 
the  great  thoroughfare,  masses  of  crimson 
flowers  and  California  violets  glowed  softly 
through  the  frosty  panes  of  florists'  shops. 
People  laughed  and  jostled  each  other  on 
the  crowded  pavements.  Girls  bundled  in 
furs  and  with  cheeks  glowing,  daintily  picked 


4  A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

their  way  with  conscious  grace  over  the 
snowy  streets;  men  straightened  their  shoul- 
ders and  assumed  a  smarter  air.  Broadway 
was  exacting  her  homage. 

In  the  crowd  at  Thirty-second  Street, 
swinging  shoulder  to  shoulder  with  long, 
easy  strides,  two  Yale  men  beat  up  against 
the  tide,  making  their  way  to  the  Forty- 
second  Street  Station. 

The  shorter  of  the  two  was  Billy  West, 
a  clean-limbed  athlete  who  had  borne  off 
more  than  one  cup  as  the  champion  runner 
in  mighty  contests,  thereby  winning  the 
universal  nickname  of  "Heels." 

The  other,  Angus  Carmichael,  half  a  head 
taller,  with  the  absurdly  proportioned  shoul- 
ders produced  when  generous  nature  is  assisted 
by  an  over-zealous  tailor,  stemmed  the  current 
like  a  human  propeller.  His  big  body  fairly 
breathed  vitality,  and  his  bright  enthusi- 
astic eyes,  searching  the  shadows  of  every 
plumed  hat,  were  young;  gloriously,  irre- 
sponsibly young. 

"And  that  gypsy  in  the  last  act!"  he  was 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE  5 

saying  rapturously,  "Oh,  Heels,  talk  about 
your  candy\  Well,  she  can  pour  my  coffee 
any  time  she  likes.  And  the  girl  that  did 
the  skirt  dance,  Clare  Something  —  well,  tell 
mer 

Words  were  evidently  inadequate  and  as 
he  paused  for  breath  his  companion  smiled 
tolerantly. 

"Gus,  you  are  the  limit.  The  light  that 
lies  in  woman's  eyes!  Why  that  girl  that 
you  are  talking  about " 

"You  didn't  see  her  eyes,"  hotly  contended 
Angus,  "big  as  a  dollar  and  black  as  night." 

"Buck  eyes,"  said  Heels  contemptuously. 
"Say,  have  you  got  any  change.'*  I  want  to 
stop  in  here  at  the  Martinique  a  second  to 
get  some  cigars." 

Carmichael  extended  a  broad  palm  on 
which  lay  a  half  dollar  and  several  smaller 
pieces.  "That's  the  extent  of  my  pile,"  he 
said  ruefully. 

Heels,  without  apology,  appropriated  the 
larger  coin.  "Be  back  in  a  minute,"  he 
said. 


6         A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

As  Carmichael  stood  on  the  corner  swing- 
ing his  cane,  and  whistling  the  alluring  strains 
that  had  wandered  through  the  three  acts 
of  "Jingoland,"  a  south-bound  car  stopped, 
and  he  saw  a  dainty  young  person  dressed  in 
brown  with  grace  and  charm  in  every  note  of 
girlish  millinery,  struggling  to  lift  a  large  suit 
case  to  the  platform.  At  the  same  moment 
another  girl  dashed  past  him  —  a  slender, 
vivid  figure  —  waving  her  scarf  and  calling 
frantically, 

"Jane!  Jane!  Get  off!  Here  I  am!  — 
Janeir 

But  it  was  all  of  no  avail;  the  suit  case 
and  its  owner  disappeared  within  the  crowded 
car.  As  it  pulled  off,  Carmichael,  thoroughly 
imbued  with  the  urgency  of  the  affair,  started 
in  pursuit. 

It  was  a  hot  chase  and  it  was  not  until  the 
car  slowed  up  at  Thirty-second  Street  that 
he  caught  it.  It  was  Thirty-first  before  he 
succeeded  in  pushing  his  way  through  the 
crowded  aisle  and  presenting  himself  before 
the  unconscious  Atalanta  of  his  chase. 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE  7 

"Pardon  me  —  but  —  "  he  began  breath- 
lessly. 

A  pair  of  startled  eyes  were  lifted  to  him. 

"Somebody  wants  you  to  get  off,  you 
know  —  your  friend  up  at  Thirty-third 
Street." 

A  momentary  quiver  of  her  lip,  a  flash 
of  her  eyes  as  her  lids  veiled  them,  and  she 
gazed  straight  through  him  at  the  fat  woman 
on  the  seat  opposite. 

Now  Mr.  Carmichael  was  not  given  to 
the  disconcerting  habit  of  blushing,  but  at 
this  rebuff,  the  hot  blood  showed  even  be- 
neath his  tan.  He  was  not  the  kind,  however, 
to  be  vanquished. 

"  She  —  she  wanted  you  awfully,"  he 
went  on  addressing  the  top  of  her  hat.  "  She 
was  tall,  with  a  gray  dress,  and  —  and,  she 
called  you  Jane." 

"Oh,  really?"  The  hat  brim  tilted  sudden- 
ly up  again.  "Where  did  you  say  she  was.'*" 
The  voice  had  soft  Southern  intonations,  and 
was  anxious. 

"Up    at    Thirty-third     Street,"    repeated 


8         A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

Carmichael.  "She's  waiting  there  now. 
Shall  I  help  you  off?" 

"Oh,  yes,  please,  if  you  will,  that  is  —  I 

"     She  was  struggling  with  her  suit  case; 

but  before  she  could  lift  it  he  had  caught  it 
up  and  was  piloting  her  to  the  platform. 

As  they  dodged  the  motors  and  cars  and 
made  for  the  sidewalk  a  boy  on  a  wheel  spun 
perilously  close,  and,  to  protect  his  com- 
panion, Angus  thrust  forward  the  suit  case. 

The  total  depravity  of  inanimate  things  was 
nevermore  fully  demonstrated.  Two  clasps 
sprang  open  at  the  concussion,  and  a  wild 
array  of  dainty  feminine  belongings  bestrewed 
Broadway!  A  smile  rippled  up  and  down  the 
block,  as  two  well-dressed  young  people 
dashed  here  and  there  frantically  gathering 
the  scattered  belongings  and  cramming 
them  pell  mell  into  that  faithless  piece  of 
baggage. 

"I  can't  get  the  rest  in,"  she  said  breath- 
lessly, with  a  pink  silk  dressing  sack  under 
one  arm  and  a  slipper  in  each  hand. 

"Here,"  cried  Angus,  with  a  man's  horror 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE  9 

of  being  laughed  at;  "put  them  in  my  pockets 
until  we  get  out  of  this.  There's  our  car, 
Come  ahead!" 

Angus  encircled  the  suit  case  with  one  arm, 
and  she  tried  to  conceal  a  hair  brush  in  her 
muff,  as  they  pushed  through  the  laughing 
crowd,  and  sought  the  seclusion  of  the  north- 
bound car. 

As  they  dropped  into  the  rear  seat  they 
broke  into  unrestrained  merriment.  Up  to 
that  moment  Angus  had  not  really  seen  her, 
except  as  smooth  and  brown  and  well-groomed 
and  so  obviously  good  to  look  at  that  anyone 
would  take  her  prettiness  for  granted.  Now 
he  realized  that  under  the  plumy  brown  hat 
her  brown  hair  had  threads  of  gold  in  it, 
her  eyes  were  dappled  like  gold-stones,  there 
were  tones  of  gold  in  the  clear  shadows  of 
her  skin.  In  fact,  the  glint  seemed  to  go 
all  through,  as  she  laughed  in  frank  enjoy- 
ment of  the  spectacle  they  had  presented. 

"Perhaps  we'd  better  try  to  get  the  rest 
of  the  things  in  now,"  she  said  when  she 
could  speak  once  more;  but  when  he  produced 


lo        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

the  two  slippers,  and  gingerly  handed  out 
the  pink  dressing  sack  with  its  tangle  of 
lace  and  ribbons,  she  had  a  relapse. 

"I  am  so  sorry,"  she  gasped,  "but  I  can't 
help  it.  You  —  you  don't  know  how  funny 
you  looked." 

"So  did  you,"  he  insisted,  "only  you  would 
have  run  away  and  left  all  your  things  there 
on  the  pavement.  Honestly  I  thought  you 
were  going  to." 

"If  I  had  only  known  where  to  run!"  she 
agreed.      "Isn't    this   Thirty-third    Street?" 

Angus  started  guiltily.  "By  George!  it's 
Thirty-fourth.  I  am  awfully  sorry;  we'll 
have  to  walk  a  block  back." 

When  they  got  there  the  young  lady  in 
gray  was  nowhere  to  be  seen! 

Angus's  companion  gave  him  one  quick 
look  of  suspicion,  and  her  eyes  began  to 
kindle  ominously. 

"Just  wait  now,"  said  Carmichael  reassur- 
ingly. "She's  around  here  some  place,  she 
must  be!  She  —  why  I  am  sure  she  knew 
I  was  going  after  you!" 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE         ii 

"But  didn't  you  tell  her?  How  do  you 
even  know  it  was  Nixie  Donovan?" 

"  She  had  on  a  gray  dress,  hadn't  she  ?  With 
a  sort  of  fur  fixing  on  her  hat,  and  red  hair." 

"It's  not  red  at  all,  it's  auburn." 

"Well  auburn  then,  and  —  and  she  called 
you  Jane." 

"Of  course  it  was  Nixie,  but  where  is  she?" 
The  girl  looked  worried.  "You  see  I  was 
to  go  out  home  with  her,  to  Summit,  and  she 
was  going  to  meet  me  at  the  Twenty-third 
Street  Ferry." 

"So  that  if  I  hadn't  butted  in "  began 

Angus  remorsefully,  but  she  interrupted. 

"It  was  very  kind  of  you,  I'm  sure  —  only 
I  don't  quite  know  what  to  do." 

"Go  right  on  down  to  the  ferry,  and  I'll 
bet  she  will  be  there  by  the  time  you  are." 

"Then  I'd  better  hurry,"  said  Jane.  "Is 
that  my  car?  I  don't  even  know  which  way 
to  go.  I've  been  visiting  up  on  the  Hudson, 
you  know,  and  this  is  my  first  time  in  New 
York  alone.  I've  been  pinning  my  faith 
to   policemen    about    transfers    and    things." 


12        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

"Well  I  haven't  my  badge  on  me,"  said 
Angus,  taking  a  fresh  hold  on  the  obstrep- 
erous suit  case,  "but  I'm  going  down  that 
way,  and  if  you  don't  mind  my  going  down 
on  the  same  car,  I  can  show  you  the  way." 

"We  —  11,"  Jane  agreed  with  a  little  note 
of  hesitation  and  withdrawal,  looking  at 
him  dubiously.  There  was,  however,  no 
mistaking  his  frank  ingenuousness. 

"You  —  you  are  sure  you  wouldn't  mind?" 
She  looked  up  gratefully,  and  Angus  felt  a 
little  quiver  run  down  his  spine.  He  shot 
a  furtive  glance  toward  the  lobby  of  the 
Martinique  in  sudden  fear  that  Heels  was 
still  lingering  about  searching  for  a  lost 
comrade.  But  that  philosopher  had  evi- 
dently gone  serenely  on  to  catch  his  train, 
declining  to  assume  any  responsibility  in 
behalf  of  his  erratic  chum. 

By  the  time  they  reached  the  ferry  it  was 
dusk,  and  the  usual  going-home  crowd 
thronged  the  cars,  the  station,  and  the  ferries. 
Angus  and  Jane  made  a  round  of  the  waiting 
rooms,  but  no  Miss  Donovan  was  to  be  found. 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE         13 

"It's  getting  so  dark,"  the  girl  said  at 
last,  and  once  more  anxiously,  "that  I  think 
perhaps  if  you  will  put  me  on  the  right  ooat 
I'd  better  go  on  out  to  Summit  without  her. 
It's  simple  enough  after  you  get  across  the 
river,  I  suppose." 

Angus  shook  his  head  positively:  "Not 
for  a  stranger.  There  are  lots  of  ways  of 
making  a  mistake.  I  think  if  you  don't 
mind,  I  will  go  along.  In  fact,"  —  he  was 
suddenly  cautioned  by  her  manner  to  be 
inspired  —  "I  am  going  over  to  Jersey  myself 
to  —  to  Montclair." 

"Oh!     Do  you  live  in  Montclair?" 

"Well  —  er  —  yes.  That  is,  my  people 
live  in  St.  Louis.  I  am  at  New  Haven  in 
college.  Just  going  out  to  Montclair  for 
the  night,  a  sort  of  smoker,  you  know." 

It  was  vague  and  rather  badly  done,  but 
the  little  lady  was  too  perturbed  to  be  critical. 

"It's  awfully  good  of  you,"  she  said  absent- 
ly, still  watching  the  doorways.  "I  hate 
to  bother  you  with  that  crazy  old  suit  case." 

"We  will  take  the  next  boat,"  began  Angus, 


14        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

then  paused  abruptly.  The  left  hand  deep 
in  his  pocket  had  closed  upon  his  last  quarter! 
He  stood  there  gnawing  his  lip  in  chagrin. 

"What  is  it?"  asked  Jane. 

"Nothing  at  all  —  only "     He    grew 

confidential.  "You  know,  I  forgot  something 
I  ought  to  have  attended  to.  Would  you 
mind  very  much  waiting  fifteen  or  twenty 
minutes  for  me?" 

"Oh,  I  think  I  ought  to  go  on,  it's  so  late. 
If  you'll  start  me  right " 

"I  —  I  wouldn't  think  of  letting  you  go 
alone.  The  boats  go  every  few  minutes  — 
besides  Miss  Donovan  may  come  yet.  You'll 
wait  for  me,  won't  you  ?" 

Jane  looked  at  the  dense  crowd  surging 
toward  the  gates;  then  she  glanced  helplessly 
at  her  insecure  suit  case  over  which  her  big 
companion  was  standing  guard. 

"It  will  explode  again  if  you  try  to  lift  it," 
he    threatened.     "Promise    you    will    wait?" 

She  laughed  in  spite  of  herself  and  nodded, 
and  he  dashed  away  through  the  crowd. 

Fifteen  minutes  later  he  returned  breath- 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE         15 

less,  with  a  useless  watchfob  crammed  into 
his  vest  pocket,  along  with  several  crisp  bills. 

"There's  a  boat  just  starting,"  he  gasped. 
"Do  you  mind  a  bit  of  a  sprint?" 

Once  on  the  boat  with  the  cold  bracing 
air  blowing  in  from  the  sea,  their  spirits 
went  up  by  leaps. 

"Isn't  it  jolly!"  she  cried,  as  enthusiastic 
as  a  child.  "Look  at  the  lights  —  the  way 
they  dance  from  one  tall  building  to  another!" 

They  were  standing  in  the  bow,  their  coat 
collars  turned  up,  laughing  into  the  face  of 
the  cold  wind,  while  the  rest  of  the  passen- 
gers crowded  in  a  dense  mass  within. 

"Too  much  for  you?"  asked  Angus. 

"Not  a  bit  of  it,"  she  declared,  shaking 
a  stray  lock  out  of  her  eyes.  "I'm  crazy 
about  the  wind.  Down  home,  in  Kentucky, 
I  always  ride  horseback  when  it's  blowing 
a  gale." 

"Lexington,  Kentucky?" 

"No,  Louisville,"  she  said  and  lapsed  into 
silence. 

At  Jersey  City  there  was  the  usual  Satur- 


i6        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

day  evening  scramble  for  the  trains.  The 
first  car  they  entered  was  almost  filled,  but 
Jane  found  a  place  beside  a  small  boy  and 
retaining  it,  beckoned  to  Angus. 

"Here's  a  seat  for  me,  thank  you,  and 
there's  one  for  you  over  by  the  door." 

"I  don't  think  this  is  the  right  car,"  said 
Angus  with  conviction.  "  Let's  try  the  next 
one. 

There  they  were  more  fortunate,  and  once 
more  comfortably  established,  side  by  side, 
their  acquaintance  took  on  the  aspect  of  old 
friendship. 

"I'm  just  here  for  a  few  days  more,"  she 
said,  "but  Miss  Donovan  is  coming  down  on 
the  twentieth  to  spend  the  Christmas  Holi- 
days with  me  in  Kentucky.  We  are  planning 
all  sorts  of  good  times." 

"Oh,  I  say,  it  must  be  great  in  Kentucky," 
said  Angus  with  kindling  enthusiasm. 
"Everything  you  hear  and  read  about  it  is 
so  —  well,  so  romantic;  night  riders,  and  feuds 
and  pretty  girls." 

"Oh,  do  you  think  so.?     Why  New  York's 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE         17 

the  romantic  place  to  me,"  she  said;  then 
blushed  furiously,  and  changed  the  subject. 
"Where  do  you  suppose  Miss  Donovan  can 
be?" 

"Probably  on  another  coach  of  this  same 
train,"  said  Angus.  "You  aren*t  sorry  you 
missed  her,  are  you  Miss  —  Jane.?" 

Jane  tried  to  look  severe,  but  he  was  not 
the  kind  of  person  to  invite  dignity. 

"Kent,"  she  said.  "Miss  Kent's  my 
name." 

"Any  relation  of  Bob  Kent  of  Yale.?" 

"No."  Then  she  relented.  "The  only 
relative  of  mine  that  you  probably  ever 
heard  of  was  old  Admiral  Mansfield  Kent. 
He  was  my  uncle." 

"You  don't  mean  it!  Great  old  chap. 
I  read  his  autobiography  in  the  magazine. 
Say  he  went  everywhere,  didn't  he.?" 

"Except  Heaven,"  said  Jane  demurely, 
"He's  dead,  you  know." 

He  looked  at  her  in  surprise,  then  laughed. 

"It's  never  safe  to  know  celebrities  behind 
the    scenes,"   she    explained.      "You    see    I 


i8         A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

lived  with  Uncle  Mansfield,  that  is,  I  lived 
with  Aunt  Marcia  and  he  used  to  visit  us 
occasionally." 

''What's  Aunt  Marcia  like?"  asked  Angus. 

Jane  laughed  and  shook  her  head.  "She 
isn't  like  anybody.  That's  her  long  suit; 
she's  different." 

"How?" 

"Oh,  every  way.  Aunt  Marcia  was  years 
and  years  younger  than  Uncle  Mansfield." 
She  was  silent  a  moment  gazing  out  of  the 
window,  then  she  continued  contritely:  "It 
was  horrid  of  me  to  say  what  I  did  about 
Uncle.  He  was  good  to  us,  in  a  way,  but 
awfully  cross,  a  sort  of  bountiful  ogre,  you 
know.  He  brought  me  this  ring  once  from 
the  island  of  Ceylon." 

She  slipped  off  the  glove  and  handed  him 
the  ring. 

"By  Jove!  that's  a  beauty!  What  is  the 
stone,  cat's  eye?" 

"The  jewellers  can't  agree,  some  say  cat's 
eye,  and  some  star  sapphire.  Funny  colour, 
isn't  it?" 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        19 

"Dandy!"  said  Angus,  examining  it  minute- 

ly. 

"It's  supposed  to  be  a  luck  stone,"  went  on 
Jane.  "Uncle  said  he  bought  it  from  an  old 
Buddhist  priest  who  performed  miracles  with 
it  before  his  very  eyes.  But  then,"  she  added, 
"Uncle  was  an  awful  fibber." 

"Has  it  brought  you  luck.'*"  asked  Angus. 

She  smiled  as  she  slipped  it  back  on  her 
finger.     "What  do  you  think .^"  she  asked. 

The  man  in  the  next  seat  stopped  the 
conductor  who  was  passing.  "What  was 
that  last  station?"  he  asked. 

"Montclair,"  the  conductor  answered 
wearily. 

A  pair  of  guilty  eyes  confronted  a  pair  of 
accusing  ones. 

At  Summit,  Carmichael  deposited  the  suit 
case  on  the  platform  and  turned  to  say  good- 
bye. As  he  did  so,  Jane  gave  a  little  shriek 
and  rushed  into  the  arms  of  the  girl  in  gray 
who  was   descending  from  the  next  coach. 

"Well  Jane  Kent!  Where  on  earth  have 
you  been?" 


20        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

"Oh!  Nixie!  Nixie!  I  thought  I'd  never 
find  you!" 

And  between  the  two  torrents  of  explana- 
tion Angus  found  himself  lost  in  a  vortex  of 
feminine  volubility. 

Not  so  lost,  however,  as  to  be  unable  to 
make  observations.  Already  he  had  dis- 
covered that  the  newcomer  had  fire  not  only 
in  her  hair,  but  little  dancing  flames  of 
laughter  in  her  eyes. 

At  this  moment  another  train  passed  the 
station.  In  a  flash  Carmichael  realized  that 
in  it  lay  his  last  chance  of  getting  back  to 
New  Haven  that  night. 

Dashing  around  the  rear  end  of  the  car 
he  had  been  on,  he  made  a  flying  leap  and 
landed  on  the  steps  of  the  smoker.  Then  as 
he  clutched  at  the  railing  to  steady  himself, 
he  gave  a  despairing  glance  backward.  An 
engine,  four  passenger  coaches,  and  a  string 
of  box  cars  were  between  him  and  his  destiny. 


CHAPTER  II 

Shows  how  Mr.  Carmichael  enlists  his  friend 
Mr.  West  in  the  scheme  for  obtaining 
an  invitation  to  spend  the  Christmas 
Holidays    in    Kentucky 

BILLY  WEST  threw  an  arm  clad  in  a  pink 
pajama  sleeve  across  the  Yale  blue 
of  his  eiderdown  coverlet. 

With  a  doting  mama,  two  enthusiastic 
sisters  and  a  score  of  rapturous  young  women 
friends  to  supply  him  with  sofa  pillows, 
pennants,  and  photographs,  not  to  mention 
the  Yale  blue  coverlet,  the  bedroom  of  Mr. 
West  rivalled  even  the  bedroom  of  his  friend 
Mr.  Carmichael,  which  opened  from  the 
other  side  upon  their  common  sitting  room. 

Mr.  William  West,  clean-featured  young 
sleeping-beauty  that  he  was,  was  dreaming. 
The  array  of  cups  and  trophies  in  the  ad- 
joining sitting  room,  inscribed  with  his  name, 


22        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

bore  testimony  to  the  appropriateness  of 
his  class  name.  Billy  West  was  the  track- 
team  prodigy  of  his  class. 

He  was  running,  now,  or  trying  to,  in  his 
sleep.  It  might  have  been  Marathon  itself,  so 
awful  was  the  sense  of  need  upon  him.  Yet 
every  time  he  lunged  forward,  finger  tips  raised 
from  the  earth  as  he  would  have  sped,  the 
heel  which  this  impetus  threw  backward, 
seemed  caught  and  held  by  an  unseen  force. 

With  the  sweat  upon  his  brow  from  the 
superhuman  effort  to  free  himself,  he  groaned, 
threw  an  arm  across  the  coverlet  and  opened 
his  eyes  upon, his  room  mate,  Carmichael, 
sitting  upon  the  Yale  blue  quilt  and  Mr. 
West's  foot,  and  talking  passionately. 

The  sun  through  the  window,  making  a 
crimson  patch  on  the  papering  of  the  western 
wall,  proclaimed  it  morning,  and  the  un- 
wonted calm  of  the  outside  world  added  that 
it  was  Sunday. 

Yet  Mr.  Carmichael  wore  the  silk  hat,  the 
skirted  overcoat,  and  the  bedraggled  orchid 
of  yesterday.     He  was  talking  of  yesterday, 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        23 

too.  Of  trains  and  trolleys,  of  girls  and  suit 
cases,  of  Summits  and  mounts,  of  Clares 
and  also  of  Jane.     Especially  of  Jane. 

At  which  point,  his  audience,  with  an  up- 
heaval of  his  person,  intelligently  directed 
now  that  he  was  entirely  awake,  caused  Mr. 
Carmichael  to  lurch  so  precipitately  as  to 
all  but  deposit  him  on  the  floor. 

But  this  young  gentleman  was  uplifted 
past  resentment,  past  appreciation  of  any 
need  for  resentment,  and,  gathering  himself 
up  and  returning  to  a  place  near  the  foot- 
board, he  went  right  on. 

"A  caboose  at  midnight  got  me  partly 
here,  and  the  milk  train  into  New  Haven  did 
the  rest.  But  I  tell  you.  Heels,  old  man, 
she  was  worth  it.  It's  a  case  of  lips  that 
might  have  launched  a  thousand  ships  of 
Ilium;  easy!  Reserved,  high-browed,  stand- 
offish.^ Well,  rather!  Just  the  freeze-out 
manner  a  man  would  like  his  best  girl  to 
give  the  other  fellow.  And  when  the  chill 
of  this  thaws  a  bit,  after  she  begins  to  know 
you,  good  Lord,  man,  you  don't  know  whether 


24        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

you  are  coming  or  going!  And  her  friend, 
Miss  Nixie  Donovan,  she's  a  nectarine  peach 
herself;  a  Burbank  improvement  on  the 
regular  variety.  You  can  trust  me  this 
time,  old  man.  We  have  got  to  follow  the 
opening  up,  you  hear  me.**" 

Heels  gazed  at  him.  Then  he  seized  the 
pillow  he  had  tucked  under  his  head  to  bring 
his  gaze  on  a  level  with  that  of  the  fluent 
Mr.  Carmichael,  and  chucked  it  at  him. 
The  action  bespoke  outrage,  and  disgust. 

"See  here,  Gus,  is  it  your  gray  matter 
that  is  getting  gauzy  in  spots,  or  is  it  mine.^ 
I  leave  you  in  all  good  faith  for  a  brief  minute 
on  a  congested  corner  on  Broadway,  and 
fourteen  hours  later  I  wake  up  to  find  you 
sitting  on  my  feet  and  talking  about  Nixies 
and  Janes.  What  in  the  deuce  are  you 
driving  at.^" 

In  ardent  and  glowing  language  Mr.  Car- 
michael told  it  again.  The  charm  of  this 
young  gentleman  lay  in  his  simple  faith  in 
his  listener,  as  well  as  in  his  enthusiasm. 
But  he  did   not  fail  to  present  his   points. 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        25 

Two  girls;  two  pretty,  tip-top  girls,  one 
adventure  as  a  starter,  and  the  future  in  the 
hands  of  Mr.  West  and  himself  to  see  that 
there  were  others. 

"And,  Billy,"  ended  Angus,  firmly  and 
inexorably,  "we  have  got  just  two  weeks 
to  find  a  man  here  who  hails  from  Louis- 
ville, Kentucky;  warm  to  him;  make  ourselves 
indispensable  to  his  happiness,  and  accept 
his  urgent  invitation  to  go  to  Kentucky  and 
spend  the  Christmas  Holidays.  We  can't 
go  down  there  without  some  sort  of  creden- 
tials, can  we?" 

"But  you  don't  know  a  blooming  thing 
about  her,  or  rather  them,"  demurred  Billy. 

"I  tell  you  I  do,""  said  Angus,  hotly.  "Her 
name  is  Miss  Jane  Kent;  she's  a  niece  of 
that  old  fish  Admiral  Mansfield  Kent,  Ken- 
tucky blue-bloods.  She's  keen  on  horses  and 
all  that  sort  of  thing.  Miss  Nixie  Donovan, 
of  Summit,  the  peach  nectarine,  is  going 
down  to  Kentucky  on  the  twentieth,  to  visit 
her.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Donovan  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad.    I  even  know  the  train 


26        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

she's  going  on.  It's  my  intention,  and  yours, 
too,  unless  you  are  not  as  game  as  I  have 
always  thought  you,  that  this  date  shall  see 
you  and  me  going  to  visit  in  that  city,  too. 
Do  you  see?" 

Mr.  West,  swinging  his  pink-clad  person 
out  of  bed  as  Carmichael  arose,  felt  that  he 
was  beginning  to  see.  Indeed,  either  of 
this  precious  pair,  urged  on  by  the  other  — 
for  it  worked  either  way  —  was  apt  to  see. 
And  in  the  case  of  Billy,  to  see  was  to  kindle 
promptly  to  all  there  was   in  an  adventure. 

Still  there  were  points  to  be  covered  before 
he  committed  himself.  He  considerately 
waited  until  the  splashing,  across  in  Mr. 
Carmichael's  quarters,  had  subsided,  and  then 
presented  himself,  lather  on  chin  and  blade 
in  hand,  so  pressing  was  the  condition  to  be 
settled  between  them. 

"If  I  do  go,"  demanded  Billy,  "  —  and 
I'd  just  as  lief  as  not  —  how  do  I  know 
whether  it  will  be  Miss  Jane  Kent  and  her 
star  sapphire,  or  the  peach  nectarine  who 
will  be   my  finish?     It's   got  to  be   clearly 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE         27 

understood  that  it's  a  clear  field  and  no 
favours." 

"Sure,"  agreed  Angus,  "but  I  know  you'll 
lose  your  head  over  Miss  Donovan,  she's 
just  your  style." 

"I  see,"  said  Heels  tentatively,  "each 
fellow  for  himself,  and  all  tactics  go." 

"Do  you  know  any  fellows  here  from 
Kentucky?"  asked  Angus.  "What  about 
Carter?" 

"Lexington,"  said  Heels. 

"Well,  you  look  up  a  man  from  Louis- 
ville, right  away.  We've  got  to  warm  to 
him,  whoever  he  is.  Now  I've  got  to  hustle 
like  the  dickens!" 

It  was  noon  of  that  day  when  Heels,  having 
cut  chapel  to  consult  a  list  of  students,  held 
up  Carmichael  in  the  act  of  transit  from  one 
building  to  another. 

"There's  only  one  Louisville  man  in  col- 
lege this  year,"  he  said  crossly,  "and  he's 
an  old  Post  Grad  and  a  theologue." 

Whereupon  the  irreverent  Mr.  Carmichael 
fervently  ejaculated,  "Good  Lord!" 


CHAPTER  III 


Introduces  Mr.  Luke  Strange^  a  Post-Grad- 
uate and  a  Theologue  and  the  only 
Louisville  man  available;  and  relates 
how  Mr.  Carmichael  and  Mr.  West 
warmed  to  him  with  results  satisfactory 
to  all  parties 

PRECISELY  at  the  same  hour  every 
day,  a  sturdy  and  square-set  little 
man  in  a  shovel  hat  and  clerical  clothes 
emerged  from  West  Divinity  and  took  his 
steady,  plodding  way  beneath  the  bare 
branched  elms,  across  the  campus,  and  past 
the  fence. 

As  he  was  a  bit  short  in  the  legs  to  his 
squareness  of  body,  his  clerical  coat-skirts 
had  the  air  of  being  quaintly  overlong;  and 
while  his  lower  jaw  had  that  out-thrust  which 
denotes  tenacity,  the  rest  of  his  countenance 

was  earnest  and  rosy. 

28 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE         29 

Ordinarily  his  routine  was  monotonously 
regular,  but  to-day  it  was  destined  to  be  dif- 
ferent. 

Swinging  along  toward  him  across  the 
campus,  shoulder  to  shoulder,  with  long  easy 
strides,  came  two  of  those  younger  men  of 
the  academic  stamp,  whose  world,  revolving 
side  by  side  with  his  own,  hitherto  had  never 
touched  it. 

Yet  the  faces  of  this  pair  were  lit  up  with 
positive  radiance  as  they  approached;  and 
reaching  him,  they  stopped.  The  taller  of 
them  buttonholed  him  with  a  joy  that  was 
almost  bursting,  while  the  other  relieved  him, 
as  one  would  his  father,  of  the  neat  stack  of 
volumes  he  had  stowed  away  under  his  arm. 

At  which  point  he  who  had  done  the  button- 
holing fell  back  in  apparent  dismay.  "Oh, 
I  say,"  he  began  apologetically,  "you  aren't 
the  man  after  all!  We  didn't  meet  you 
on  a  motor  cycle  near  Como,  summer  before 
last,  did  we  ?  Machine  broke  down  you  know, 
and  we  gave  a  fellow  a  lift.  No,  of  course  not. 
Let  me  introduce  Mr.  West,  my  room  mate,  of 


30        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

Boston,  class  of  'teen  nought.  Carmichael  is 
my  name,  Angus  Carmichael,  of  St.  Louis, 
also  of  'teen  nought.  Hope  you  will  forgive  us, 
sir,  for  holding  you  up  like  this.  Mister ?" 

The  perfectly  serious  gray-blue  eyes  of 
the  little  man  which  had  lifted  to  the  coun- 
tenance of  the  young  gentleman  who  was  so 
fervently  speaking,  continued  to  regard  him 
unblinkingly.  Then  their  gaze  travelled  to 
his  friend.  Also  his  jaw  shot  forward  ten- 
tatively, and  his  chin,  seemingly  so  cherubic 
an  affair,  turned  into  a  belligerent  one  with 
its  lip  thrust  upward  and  outward.  There 
was  unexpected  Irish  in  the  little  man. 

But  the  eyes  of  Mr.  Carmichael,  of  St. 
Louis  were  limpid  as  the  orbs  of  childhood, 
except  that  each  bore  an  interrogation  mark 
of  waiting  expectancy.  Had  he  not  asked 
this  gentleman  his  name?  The  countenance 
of  Mr.  West  also  bore  genial  and  open  interest 
only. 

The  belligerence  in  the  little  man's  manner 
changed  back  to  mildness. 

"Strange    is    my    name,    Luke    B  abb  rage 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        31 

Strange.  Shall  we  go  on?  Or  do  you  go 
the  other  way?  No?  I  myself  am  here 
taking  a  post-graduate  course  in  sociology 
and  practical  philanthropy.  You  say  that 
you  are  from  Boston,  Mr.  West?  And  St. 
Louis,  Mr.  Carmichael?  While  there  are 
other  Kentucky  men  here,  so  far  as  I  have  dis- 
covered, I  am  the  only  man  from  Louisville." 

So  far  as  the  two  young  gentlemen  striding 
along  now  with  the  little  man  between  them 
had  been  able  to  find  either.  This  was  why 
they  now  so  assiduously  accompanied  him  in 
the  direction  he  appeared  to  want  to  go. 
This  was  why  they  had  no  thought  of  allowing 
him  to  shake  them. 

At  the  mention  of  Louisville  the  impetuous 
Mr.  Carmichael  broke  forth.  "Alluring 
sound  that  place  and  that  state  have  for  me! 
It  has  come  to  be  one  of  my  dreams,  waking 
and  sleeping,  to  go  down  there. 

"  Take  me  back  to  old  Kentucky 
Where  the  crystal  waters  glint 
As  they  dance  along  their  borders 
Through  the  fragrant  beds  of 


32        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

No,  no,  you  are  quite  right,   Billy,   that  is 
not  at  all  the  verse  I  meant. 

"  Where  the  lasses  and  the  horses 
Are  but  terms  for  grace  and  speed 


These  are  the  lines  I  had  in  mind." 

They  were  pausing  now  before  the  desti- 
nation of  their  new  acquaintance,  but  the 
ardour  of  Mr.  Carmichael  was  unquenched. 
"And  I  say,  Mr.  Strange,  old  chap,  I  hope 
you'll  permit  me  to  call  you  so  —  I  —  er  — 
say,  you  are  going  to  let  Billy  and  me  come 
and  see  you."*  West  Divinity,  are  you  not.''  It 
was  our  hope  to  have  been  in  South  Middle, 
but  we  didn't  make  it  at  the  start.  We  are 
in  Durfer.  Isn't  it  sort  of  obligatory  on  your 
part  to  let  us  come,  to  make  us  feel  you  have 
quite  pardoned  our  hold-up.'*" 

"And  one  thing  more  to  that,  sir,"  said 
Mr.  West,  with  a  deprecatory  dignity  to  be 
construed  as  a  rebuke  for  his  less  restrained 
companion.  "There  is  —  er  —  a  sort  of 
select  and  limited  smoker  round  at  our  rooms 
for   Saturday   night."     It  was   the   first   his 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        33 

friend  Angus  had  heard  of  it.  "You'll  see 
us  before  that  time,  but  I  speak  about  it  now  in 
the  hope  that  you  will  keep  the  evening  open 
to  meet  a  few  of  us  seniors,  sir?" 

But  Mr.  West  and  Mr.  Carmichael  came 
to  call  first.  That  afternoon,  in  fact,  late,  in 
all  their  toggery  as  for  afternoon  tea,  and  they 
left  their  cards  on  the  table  as  they  departed. 

They  waylaid  him  on  the  outskirts  of 
West  Divinity  at  dusk  the  next  day  and  car- 
ried him  off  into  town  to  supper,  an  arm  of 
each  linked  through  one  of  his,  even  while 
his  somewhat  deliberate  speech  was  in  the 
act  of  formulating  objections.  And  on  the 
return  from  that  tidy  meal,  they  steered  him, 
mildly  expostulating,  up  to  their  own  quarters. 
He  was  the  assistant,  they  learned,  at  a  large 
and  fashionable  Episcopal  Church  in  his 
home  city.  He  did  not  smoke,  and  he  de- 
clined the  hospitality  of  the  foils,  the  gloves 
and  the  punching  bag  pressed  upon  him  by 
Mr.  Carmichael  as  host. 

His  attention  as  he  took  the  pigskin  easy- 
chair  pushed  toward  him,  seemed  to  be  held 


34        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

by  the  pictures.  Miss  Clare  de  Vere,  in 
ballet  skirts,  and  poised  on  one  toe,  hung 
over  the  mantel  while  Damon,  son  of  Bliz- 
zard, the  bullterrier  bench-show  prizetaker, 
surmounted  the  bookshelf. 

But  good  breeding  demanded  that  the 
hosts  find  matter  of  more  possible  interest 
to  the  guest. 

"A  great  place  that,  Kentucky,"  said  Mr. 
Carmichael  astride  a  straight  chair,  his  chin 
propped  on  its  back  as  he  devoted  himself 
to  the  visitor.  "An  amazing  proportion  of 
our  noteworthy  men  have  come  from  there. 
A  remarkable  old  fish,  for  instance,  was  your 
Admiral  Mansfield  Kent.  He  lived  in  Louis- 
ville, did  he  not?" 

Talk  of  lightning  from  a  blue  sky!  The 
gaze  of  Mr.  Strange  withdrew  Itself  from 
Miss  Clare  de  Vere  where  it  seemed  to  be 
hypnotically  held,  and  regarded  Mr.  Car- 
michael. 

"He  lived  next  door  to  my  family  there. 
The  Admiral's  father  and  my  grandfather 
built  companion   houses,   side  by   side  over 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE         35 

sixty  years  ago.  The  surviving  families,  I 
am  happy  to  say,  reside  in  these  houses 
still." 

The  chair  back  upon  which  Angus  and 
his  chin  leaned  gave  way  with  a  crash. 
He  was  something  of  a  heavyweight  to 
receive  such  a  shock  so  suddenly.  But  only 
in  the  body  did  it  down  him. 

"But,  I  say,  old  man,"  he  went  right  on, 
arising  from  the  fragments  as  the  phoenix 
from  its  ashes,  "it's  ripping  to  know  that  a 
great  old  chap  like  that  left  survivors.  Sons, 
I  suppose?" 

Something  of  rosiness  and  even  of  embar- 
rassment became  visible  in  the  countenance 
of  the  guest.  "Ah  —  er  —  a  widow  and  a 
niece,"  stated  Mr.  Strange. 

After  the  guest  had  taken  his  leave,  Mr. 
Carmichael  became  thoughtful.  In  time  he 
burst  forth  with  the  result  of  his  reflections. 

"Bill,  he's  got  a  jaw.  I  would  not  put 
it  past  him  to  have  a  fist.  He's  no  manikin 
like  we  thought  him.  He's  a  first-rate  little 
man!" 


36        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

Mr.  West  added  some  information  to  this 
a  day  later.  "His  mother  has  the  dough,  too, 
Gus.  Plenty  of  it,  I  gather.  I  had  him  out 
this  afternoon  and  he  inadvertently  let  out 
the  same.  The  only  reason  we  did  not  meet 
him  pedaling  along  a  road  at  Como  summer 
before  last  was  because  we  were  not  there  to 
do  so.  He  was.  He's  been  over  eight  times 
since  he  was  a  kid." 

Three  days  after  this  confidence,  Mr. 
Carmichael  made  one  in  his  turn.  "Bill, 
he's  all  right.  We  are  the  goats.  Particu- 
larly yours  truly!  I  dropped  by  to  jolly  him 
a  bit  before  supper  time,  and  didn't  he  get 
to  talking  to  me  as  if  I  were  a  brother  and  an 
equal!  He  said  it  meant  a  great  deal  to  him 
to  have  had  us  young  fellows  ask  him  out 
and  make  him  one  among  us.  That  his  train- 
ing and  his  profession  hitherto  had  seemed 
to  be  a  wall  between  him  and  young  people. 
He  sighed  at  this,  Bill,  a  deep-down  sigh,  from 
the  ground  up.  Then  he  turned  downright 
confidential.  He  said  that  sometimes  it  was 
a  woeful  disadvantage  to  a   man  to  be  the 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE         37 

only  son  of  a  widowed  mother.  As  near  as 
I  can  make  it  out,  she  seems  to  have  given 
him  to  the  Lord  off-hand,  before  he  was  old 
enough  to  have  any  say-so  in  the  bargain. 
It  was  an  unfilial  thing  to  say,  the  dear  little 
man  went  on  to  state,  but  often  he  had  felt 
that  he  could  have  been  altogether  another 
and  manlier  type,  if  his  mother  had  not  gone 
with  him  through  school  and  college  and  sem- 
inary. A  man  is  entitled  to  refrain  from  his 
wild  oats  of  himself,  he  said.  I  began  to  think 
he  meant  his  mother  was  here  with  him  now; 
but  he  said  for  the  first  and  only  time  in  his  life 
she  was  not;  that  sometimes  he  feared  he  was 
a  brute  unworthy  of  the  garb  he  wore,  for 
his  mother  had  gone  into  hysteria  and  thence 
to  a  sanitarium  because  he  would  not  let  her 
come." 

Billy's  jaw  dropped.  "Then  he  won't 
be  going  home  for  Christmas?" 

"But  he  will  be;  he  is.  I  should  say  there 
is  some  reason  which  is  making  him  count 
the  days  to  his  going.  He  says  an  old  family 
serv^ant  who  acts  as  his  mother's  housekeeper 


38        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

now,  is  there  and  expects  him.  Say,  Billy, 
it's  sort  of  mean  to  string  him." 

Billy,  nodding,  sucked  on  the  amber  mouth- 
piece of  his  briar- root  thoughtfully.  Then 
he  spoke.  "We've  got  to  be  straight  with 
him,  Gus." 

There  was  silence  while  they  both  digested 
this.  Then  Angus  arose,  "Straight  it  is,  old 
man;  you're  right.  Thank'ee  for  the  tip. 
Get  your  hat.  Straight  it  is,  here  and  now 
and  hereafter  with  the  Rev.  Luke." 

That  rosy  person  was  glad  to  see  them. 
It  was  ten  o'clock  and  his  books  and  papers 
were  outspread  on  his  table  before  him. 

"Look  here,"  burst  from  Mr.  Angus  Car- 
michael,  before  he  could  even  deposit  his  hat. 
"We're  finding  you  are  better  than  most,  and 
straight,  too.  Straight  as  a  string.  Billy  here 
thinks  so  too.  I  want  to  ask  you  something. 
Take  the  case  of  a  fellow  who's  dead  gone  on 
a  girl  he  has  never  properly  met,  a  girl  he 
knows  by  accident  in  such  a  way  he  can't 
presume  on  the  chance  acquaintance,  she 
being  quite  that  kind  of  a  girl.     Supposing 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE         39 

that  chap  made  up  to  a  man  from  her  town 
and  who  lives  next  door  to  her,  hoping  to 
get  an  invite  down  there  for  himself  and  his 
friend?  And  take  it  that  this  same  chap 
is  beastly  ashamed  of  himself,  and  wants  to 
say  so,  what  would  you  think  he  ought  to  do?" 

And  Mr.  Carmichael  looked  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Strange  breathlessly  in  the  eye,  and  waited 
while  that  little  man  looked  him  steadily 
back,  and  Mr.  William  West  rocked  on  the 
two  rear  legs  of  his  straight  chair  and  mur- 
mured in  penitential  refrain,  "Me,  too,  and 
don't  overlook  it;  me,  too." 

Then  up  spoke  the  square  little  man, 
continuing  to  hold  the  eyes  of  Mr.  Carmichael 
inexorably. 

"You  asked  me,  gentlemen,  Mr.  West 
rather  than  Mr.  Carmichael,  for  some  data 
on  the  subject  of  the  discobolus  for  a  stamp 
on  your  track-team  stationery.  I  had  just 
finished  making  the  notes  of  the  same  for  you 
on  that  sheet  of  paper  there  when  you  came 
in.  If  I  understand  the  rest  of  this  matter 
aright,  my  young  friends,  —  though  perhaps 


40        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

thirty-two  and  twenty  are  not  so  far  removed 
from  each  other  as  my  use  of  'young  friends* 
would  seem  to  insist;  if  I  understand  the  gist 
of  this  matter,  will  you  spend  the  approach- 
ing holidays  in  my  mother's  home  in  Louis- 
ville as  my  guests?  Or  rather  I  will  exact 
the  compliance  in  expiation  of  the  offense 
preferred  by  yourselves.  You  will  spend  the 
said  holidays  with  me  as  my  guests.  I  ex- 
pect to  leave,  by  the  way,  on  the  twenty- 
second." 

There  are  dormitory  laws  at  any  college, 
West  Divinity  at  Yale  included,  which  are 
supposed  to  put  some  limit  on  the  individual 
freedom.  For  instance  if  you  want  to  howl, 
and  it  is  in  hours,  you  can  howl.  And  if  it 
is  not  in  hours  —  why  you  howl  just  the  same. 
Mr.  Carmichael  and  Mr.  William  West 
howled.  They  were  restored,  set-up,  once 
more  irrepressible  and  incorrigible. 

"Oh,  I  say,  old  man,"  avowed  Mr.  Car- 
michael, "you  are  teaching  us  pure  religion. 
That's  straight,  not  cant.  Of  course  we'll 
go!    You  meant  it,  didn't  you?     But  look 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        41 

here,  I  might  as  well  out  with  it,  mightn't  I 
Billy?  We've  got  to  leave  here  on  the  twen- 
tieth. There  are  reasons  urgent,  pressing,  insur- 
mountable reasons,  if  you  knew  them,  why  — 
—  er  —  we  ought  to  leave  on  that  date 
and  get  to  Louisville  on  " 

"So  we  will  then,  my  dear  boy.  Now  that 
you  suggest  it,  there  are  quite  as  strong 
reasons  urging  me.  On  the  twentieth,  gentle- 
men.    And  now,  good-night." 

It  was  Heels  who  had  asked  for  the  disco- 
bolus notes,  but  it  was  Angus  who,  with  his 
usual  impetuosity  had  put  them  in  his  breast 
pocket  for  safe  keeping. 

Billy  seemed  to  himself  to  have  been  asleep 
for  hours  when  he  was  awakened  as  once 
before  to  find  Mr.  Carmichael  standing  over 
him,  that  person  being  in  the  pink  pajamas 
this  time,  owing  to  a  lack  of  any  discrimina- 
tion on  the  part  of  their  common  washlady. 
Again  Mr.  Carmichael  was  talking  fluently 
and  excitedly. 

"Wake  up  there,  Heels,  and  hear  the  birds 
sing!     I've  made  a  discovery!     It's  on  the 


42        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

other  side  of  the  notes  he  gave  you  and 
it's  poetry.  He  talks  about  her  as  a  rose,  a 
jewel,  and  a  star!  Oh,  Glory:  isn't  this  cream? 
It's  written  to  her!  It's  a  dead  giveaway, 
Billy.  He's  gone  on  Miss  Kent,  too!  It's  a 
three-ringed  rivalry,  and  Luke's  in  the  lead." 
"Let  me  see,"  said  Billy  West;  and,  inter- 
rupted by  shouts  of  laughter,  he  sat  up  in 
bed  and  read: 

"How  should  thou  be  a  rose  who  art  a  star? 
And  how  a  star  who  yet  a  jewel  art? 
And  how  all  these  when  deep  within  my  heart 
Thou  keepest  thine  own  image,  sweet  and  fair? 
Lady  of  mine,  these  halting  verses  mar 
The  beauty  of  my  dream  —  like  dust  a-start 
On  a  fair  glass,  or  ripples  that  do  part 
The  mirror  of  a  stream,  where  shadows  are. 

"Yet  will  I  write  them!     Not  to  meet  thine  eye, 
Never  to  lay  before  thee  as  a  gift. 
But  for  my  spirit's  own  delivery. 
But  for  my  soul's  most  delicate  uplift! 
For  this  imagining     .     .     .     ." 

But  that  was  all.  The  sonnet  was  un- 
finished. Nevertheless,  as  the  two,  overcome 
with  the  joke  of  this  latest  development, 
agreed,  it  was  quite  enough. 


CHAPTER  IV 

In  which  three  men  and  a  maid  travel  to  Ken- 
tucky, the  minister  in  the  lead,  until 
an  unfortunate  accident  restores  the 
hero  to  his  proper  place  before  the 
footlights 

/^N  the  twentieth  of  December,  Angus 
^^  Carmichael  and  Billy  West  picked  up 
their  sumptuous  "limited"  in  Jersey  City, 
everything  promising  well  for  their  Janic 
quest.  Billy  made  a  joke  or  two  when  he 
saw  that  the  name  of  their  sleeper  was  "  Wal- 
halla,"  which  suggested  to  him  the  warfare 
of  the  gods;  but  Angus  drew  his  attention  to 
the  fact  that  it  also  represented  victory,  and 
was  therefore  the  best  of  omens. 

The  sleeper  was  full  to  its  skylights,  but 
empty  of  the  young  woman  they  sought. 
Although  it  wanted  five  days  to  the  great 
holiday,  the  Christmas  spirit  prevailed.     The 

43 


44        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

crowd  rushing  homeward  showed  that  expec- 
tant cheerfulness  that  a  journey  with  holiday 
reunions  at  the  end  brings  to  college  boy  or 
business  man,  to  matron  or  to  maid.  Of  the 
latter  however  there  were  precious  few  and  a 
certain  non-arrival  made  both  the  schemers 
anxious. 

The  Reverend  Luke  arrived  a  trifle  late, 
loaded  with  packages  tied  smartly  in  holly- 
printed  papers  which  he  explained  were  last 
purchases .  for  his  mother  and  the  family 
servants. 

Behind  him,  so  close  behind,  In  fact,  that 
for  a  second  it  appeared  as  if  they  were 
together,  came  the  slender  young  woman 
whom  Angus  had  twice  seen,  in  the  same  gray 
suit  with  the  same  gray  fur  toque  on  her  red 
hair.  She  glanced  demurely  ahead  of  her 
as  she  walked,  but  there  was  a  suspicious 
turn  of  the  soft  red  lips  that  told  of  a  smile 
suppressed. 

Angus  nudged  Billy  frantically.  "That's 
she;  isn't  she  a  winner.^  It  gave  me  an  awful 
jolt  when  I  thought  she  was  with  Strange. 


Behind    him    came    the    slender    young    woman 
whom  Angus  had  twice  seen 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        45 

It's  tough  luck  that  she  has  the  drawing  room 
though." 

When  the  damsel  had  vanished,  and  the 
guileless  minister  had  turned  to  rearrange 
his  packages,  Mr.  West  undertook  to  make 
himself  comfortable. 

Matters  inside  the  car  were  rather  mixed. 
The  upper  berth,  and,  as  a  perquisite,  half 
of  the  lower  seats,  were  his  by  right  of  pur- 
chase, but  he  found  every  inch  of  the  blue 
plush  piled  with  stuff  —  two  suit  cases,  a 
large  lunch  basket,  a  small  satchel,  a  myster- 
ious square  box  with  holes  punched  in  the  top 
to  which  the  attachment,  by  the  straps,  of  a 
pair  of  roller  skates  seemed  somewhat  incon- 
gruous. Added  to  these  were  an  umbrella 
and  a  large,  tightly  bandaged,  shawl-strap 
bundle.  If  this  was  the  lower  berth's  hand 
baggage,  what  or  who  was  the  occupant  and 
where  was  the  athletic  Heels  to  disport  him- 
self for  the  long  trip? 

Presently,  led  by  the  porter  there  entered  a 
small  boy  of  not  more  than  five  or  six  years 
of  age.     He  was  equipped  for  travelling  in 


46        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

heavy  ribbed  black  stockings,  knickerbockers 
about  as  long  as  Heel's  hands,  a  snug-fitting 
red  jersey  and  a  brownie  cap  of  red.  Around 
his  neck,  securely  hung,  a  stout  untearable 
tag  notified  in  clear  black  letters  all  whom  it 
might  concern  that  Grover  Cleveland  Ham- 
ilton was  to  be  safely  delivered  to  his  grand- 
mother in  1994  Lakegrove  Avenue,  Louis- 
ville, Ky. 

Grover  soon  proved  himself.  The  porter 
had  no  sooner  lifted  him  to  his  seat,  where  his 
short  legs  stuck  out  straight  before  him, 
than  he  slipped  down  and  began  to  show 
active  interest  in  Heels's  impedimenta  which 
had  been  piled  on  top  of  his  own.  When, 
after  a  reconnoitring  absence,  Mr.  West 
returned,  he  found  his  golf  sticks  scattered 
as  pitfalls  for  the  unwary  along  the  centre 
aisle,  and  seeing  complications  ahead  pro- 
ceeded to  replace  his  belongings. 

"Look  here,  Grover,"  he  said,  "I'll  make 
a  bargain  with  you:  if  you  don't  touch  my 
things  I  won't  touch  yours;  but  if  you  endan- 
ger the  lives  of  the  passengers,  to  say  nothing 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        47 

of  the  lives  of  the  great  Pullman  officials,  I 
am  going  to  take  that  square  tin  box  with 
the  holes  all  around  it,  and  chuck  it  out  of 
the    window.     Where's    that    other  cleek?'* 

Grover  Cleveland  Hamilton  at  first  seemed 
about  to  cry;  then  he  looked  his  threatener 
full  in  the  face,  and  sticking  both  fists  into 
his  diminutive  trousers  pockets,  he  said 
simply  and  emphatically: 

"Ya  — a  — a!" 

And  Heels,  knowing  he  had  found  his  match, 
softened  his  manners. 

"I'll  tell  you  what  it  is,  Old  Sport,  we  are 
going  to  be  friends.  You  take  care  of  me  and 
I'll  fight  for  you.     Where's  that  cleek?" 

Grover  was  not  so  easily  won.  He  cocked 
his  head  on  one  side,  seemed  about  to  retort, 
then  changed  his  mind  and  walked  thought- 
fully down  the  aisle  and  pounded  with  his 
fist  on  the  door  of  the  drawing  room.  It  was 
opened  and  through  a  small  aperture  a  con- 
versation was  held,  only  one  side  of  which 
could  be  heard. 

It  is,  too!"  the  small  boy  was  declaring. 


((' 


48        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

"It's  under  your  bed.     He  wants  it.     You 
get  it:  I  can't  reach  it.     He's  going  to  fight  for 


me. 


Then  he  disappeared  for  a  second  and  pres- 
ently they  both  emerged,  the  girl  in  gray 
with  the  cleek  in  her  hand. 

Heels's  heart  jumped.  So  did  he.  "I 
beg  your  pardon,"  he  began.  "That  is  mine, 
I  believe!"  That  blessed  Grover  Cleveland 
Hamilton!  Visions  of  where  this  opening 
sent  by  the  Fates  would  lead,  of  his  rivals 
distanced,  of  the  noli  me  tangere  tactics  he 
would  pursue  in  following  the  "All's  Fair," 
pact,  flushed  through  his  brain. 

"Oh,  Grover!"  the  girl  said  with  a  reproach- 
ful look  at  the  little  magpie.  As  she  handed 
the  implement  back  to  its  owner,  her  smile 
may  have  meant  only  amusement  at  the 
diminutive  traveller,  or  it  might  have  meant — 
all  sorts  of  exhilarating  possibilities!  Only, 
she  turned  back  and  closed  the  door. 

"H-m!"  the  youth  exclaimed  to  nothing 
and  nobody,  seeking  his  companions  with 
a  one-sided  smile. 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        49 

"Not  so  far  ahead  as  you  thought,"  greeted 
Angus.  "Now  to  show  you  how  generous 
I  am,  I  propose  that  we  join  forces,  all  three 
combining  and  getting  there  together." 

"What  can  a  fellow  do  with  a  stateroom 
door?"  asked  Heels  ruefully. 

"Watch  me,"  replied  Angus.  Then  he 
took  one  of  Strange's  packages.  "This 
bears  the  hall-mark  —  Grover  Cleveland 
Hamilton,  do  you  want  some  candy?" 

"Help  yourselves,  gentlemen,"  said  the 
Reverend  Luke;  "that  candy  was  intended  for 
Mrs.  Binkins,  our  old  housekeeper,  but  all 
that  I  have  is  yours." 

"Thanks,  awfully,"  said  Angus;  "a  loan 
merely.  We'll  pile  Binkins  up  to  her  eyes  in 
candy." 

The  box  was  opened  and  Grover  Cleveland 
pounced. 

"Not  so  fast.  Old  Sport;  don't  be  greedy. 
The  lady  in  gray  first,  mon  enfant.^^ 

"Knock  on  that  glass  door,"  added  Angus 
"and  ask  the  lady  if  she  doesn't  want  some 
of  our  candy  —  ours,  mind  you." 


50        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

Grover  Cleveland  Hamilton  obeyed.  He 
knocked,  once  lightly,  again  harder;  the  door 
opened;  the  lady  in  gray  looked  at  the  child, 
listened,  took  the  box  of  candy,  and,  with  a 
sudden  dipping  of  her  head  that  nevertheless 
left  a  suspiciously  smiling  curve  of  cheek 
visible,  she  once  more  shut  the  door. 

"Well  if  that  isn't  cool!"  said  Billy. 
"Strange,  since  the  candy  is  yours  —  "  he 
began. 

But  the  Reverend  Luke  stopped  him  with 
a  hand-wave.  "It  was  yours  from  the  mo- 
ment you  asked  for  it;  and  not  being  so  eager 
nor  so  trustful  as  you  two,  I  must  decline 
the  initiative  in  this  affair,  merely  following 
where  you  lead,  gathering  contentedly,  as  it 
were,  the  stray  crumbs." 

"While  we  take  the  chunks?  Heavens, 
man!  Do  you  think  we  are  swine?  Go 
claim  your  property  and  take  the  first  inning." 

The  Reverend  Luke  protested  no  further, 
but  got  up  with  apparent  reluctance;  tapped 
timidly  upon  the  ground  glass  door;  held  a 
small,  meek  parley;  waited;  then  led  the  lady 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        51 

in  gray  and  the  box  of  candy  past  the  two 
young  men,  through  the  door  into  the  rear  car. 

Billy  and  Angus  exchanged  looks;  then 
followed  at  a  safe  distance.  In  the  very 
rear  of  the  observation  car,  their  faces  to 
the  flying  landscape,  their  backs  to  the 
world,  sat  Strange  and  Miss  Donovan  affably 
conversing. 

The  conspirators  returned  to  their  own  car 
for  counsel. 

"Doesn't  that  frazzle  you?"  asked  Angus. 
"Just  takes  the  trick  with  a  simple  twist  of 
his  wrist.  We've  got  to  combine  against 
that  little  parson!     What  shall  it  be  next.^" 

"Stray  crumbs,  is  it?"     quoted  Billy. 

"All  that  I  have  is  yours,"  added  Angus. 
"Let's  take  him  at  his  word  and  seek  Inspira- 
tion in  another  box.  Here's  one  that  seems 
promising." 

It  far  exceeded  expectations.  It  was 
bunched  in  natural  holly  of  extra  prickliness 
and  a  broad  crimson  satin  ribbon  was  tied 
with  a  quirk  through  a  card  which  read: 
"From  a  grateful  parishioner,"  holding  togeth- 


52        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

er  a  pair  of  extra  large  velvet  slippers  of 
bishopric  hue  ("Coming  events,"  interjected 
Angus),  embroidered  in  pansies  of  extreme 
lumpiness  and  violent  variegations.  The 
twain  consulted. 

"He'd  never  recover  from  his  embarrass- 
ment —  'twould    settle    him    for    the    trip." 

As  Fate's  messenger  Groyer  Cleveland 
should  again  be  employed. 

After  some  search  the  child  was  found  on 
the  floor  of  a  section,  his  head  on  a  shawl, 
looking  like  a  baby  indeed,  his  thumb  in  his 
mouth  and  sleeping.  But  no  sentimental 
scruples  withheld  the  two. 

"He'll  have  lots  of  time  to  sleep,"  said 
Angus,  unfeelingly  lifting  the  limp  form  that 
dragged  like  lead,  and  rousing  it  sufficiently 
to  make  it  open  one  eye  on  a  suspended 
nickel.  Grover  was  told  what  service  was 
required,  but  he  was  a  born  financier. 

"Free  nickels,"  was  what  he  said. 

"Five  nickels,"  amended  Billy  and  showed 
them. 

They   guided   his   tottering   steps   to    the 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        53 

rear  of  the  observation  car  until  they  were 
almost  behind  the  chosen  two;  they  placed 
the  gorgeous  slippers  in  the  chubby  hands 
and  bade  Grover  Cleveland  tell  the  gentleman 
that  there  were  the  slippers  the  lady  he  was 
going  to  marry  had  made  for  him.  Then  he 
was  to  get  his  five  nickels. 

Grover  was  nobody's  fool,  but  he  had  a 
common  failing  —  he  could  not  carry  a 
straight  message.  The  two  peeping  saw  him 
approach  the  pair,  saw  the  lady  turn  and 
beam  graciously  upon  him.  It  was  not  the 
first  time  history  has  been  altered  by  the 
glance  of  beauty.  To  her,  not  to  Strange 
Grover  handed  the  slippers,  and  to  Strange, 
he  battered  his  message  thus: 

"Those  two  men  says  the  slippers  are  for 
the  lady  he's  going  to  marry,  and  to  give 
Grover  five  nickels." 

The  lady  in  gray  became  a  lady  in  crimson. 
She  looked  at  Mr.  Strange  with  interroga- 
tory eyebrows  over  a  face  of  mischief. 

"Those  boys!"  he  said,  laughing  also;  and 
pitched  the  slippers  overboard. 


54        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

Some  time  elapsed  before  the  perfidious 
Strange  led  his  companion  through  the  car, 
past  the  guilty  couple  and  Into  her  stateroom 
where  they  could  be  seen  chatting  unconcern- 
edly   for    the    remainder    of    the    afternoon. 

As  dusk  approached  Angus  sent  an  extrav- 
agantly formal  written  communication  by 
the  porter,  Inviting  the  Rev.  Luke  to  be 
their  guest  at  dinner.  A  prompt  reply, 
equally  ceremonious,  stated  that  Mr.  Strange 
had  a  previous  engagement. 

When  Angus  and  Billy  took  their  seats 
in  the  dining  car,  they  discovered  that  the 
table  opposite  their  own  was  especially  pro- 
vided with  flowers  and  anchovy  hors-cT  ceu- 
vres  and  their  suspicions  soon  found  veri- 
fication when  Strange,  in  the  very  pink  of  a 
fresh  toilet  and  evident  pleasure,  entered 
with  Miss  Nixie  Donovan,  who  did  not  look 
at  the  two  young  men  opposite,  though  con- 
sciousness of  them  was  by  this  time  brim- 
ming just  below  her  persistently  drooping 
lids. 

Angus    and   Billy   studied   the   landscape. 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        55 

"Don't  look  at  them,"  said  the  former  in  an 
undertone.  "She  thinks  we  are  a  couple 
of  cowboys  now.  It's  evident  enough  he 
knew  her  all  the  time.  Friends  of  Miss 
Kent's,  both  of  them,  if  we'd  thought  of  it. 
He's  beat  us  to  it,  Bill.  From  this  time  on, 
our  best  policy  will  be  dignified  aloofness." 

"How's  this  for  haughtiness.'"'  asked  Billy 
leaning  his  elbow  on  the  back  of  his  chair, 
and  gazing  in  nonchalant  abstraction  at  a 
spot  just  over  Miss  Donovan's  head. 

In  the  car  ahead  of  them  Grover  Cleveland 
Hamilton  had  been  left  sleeping  the  sleep 
of  untroubled  innocence.  He  seemed  good 
for  the  night.  But  Grover  had  some  of  the 
attributes  of  genius,  one  of  which  is  unexpect- 
edness. 

Under  his  berth,  tied  to  the  square  tin 
box  with  the  perforated  top,  were  his  roller 
skates.  By  what  train  of  thought  —  whether 
in  the  body  or  out  —  he  conceived  the  idea 
of  trying  to  skate  on  the  train,  only  the  gods 
can  tell.  Perhaps  he  awoke  hungry  and  was 
told  where  to  find  his  longed-for  assuagement; 


56        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

perhaps  he  wanted  to  feed  the  small  pet  im- 
prisoned in  the  box  he  held.  Be  that  as  it 
may,  the  two  friends,  discussing  their  abun- 
dant fare  in  the  dining  car,  suddenly  beheld 
a  small  boy  on  roller  skates  lurch  forward 
and  fall  sprawling  in  the  aisle. 

At  the  same  moment  the  top  flew  off  the 
tin  box,  and  a  white  rat  sought  refuge  in  the 
gray  folds  of  a  nearby  skirt. 

Miss  Donovan  gave  a  shriek,  and  Angus 
sprang  to  the  rescue.  As  he  dropped  on  one 
knee  before  her,  he  came  down  with  all  his 
force  on  the  sharp  edge  of  the  upturned  box. 

"Here's  the  brute,  Billy,"  he  said;  "and 
give  me  a  hand  if  you  don't  mind." 

"Why  you've  hurt  yourself!"  cried  Miss 
Donovan,  alarmed  at  his  inability  to  rise. 
"Oh  Mr.  Strange!  Please  help!" 

Investigation  proved  that  the  cut  was  a 
serious  one;  the  spurting  blood  suggested  a 
severed  artery. 

It  was  Miss  Donovan  who  assumed  com- 
mand. She  had  Angus  carried,  regardless 
of  protest,  to  the  sleeping  car;  she  superin- 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE         57 

tended  the  staunching  of  the  wound;  and 
she  issued  orders  as  if  she  were  the  president 
of  the  road. 

Luke  Strange,  finding  his  services  super- 
fluous, decided  to  apply  himself  to  a  task 
more  congenial  to  his  calling,  and  proceeded 
to  administer  consolation  in  bereavement 
to  the  tearful  Grover  who  was  totally  unre- 
conciled to  the  sudden  demise  of  his  cherished 
white  rat. 

At  the  first  stop,  a  surgeon,  summoned  by 
an  advance  telegram,  boarded  the  train 
and  found  a  patient  with  a  fractured  patella, 
somewhat  weak  from  loss  of  blood,  divided 
between  physical  pain  and  delirious  joy,  but 
with   every   chance   for   a   speedy   recovery. 

During  the  rest  of  the  evening  Billy  West 
obediently  fetched  and  carried  for  the  girl 
in  gray,  who  in  her  relief  from  serious  appre- 
hension and  the  restraint  on  her  social  in- 
stincts, expanded  like  the  escaped  afrite  in 
the  "  Arabian  Nights,"  devoting  herself 
exclusively  to  the  invalid,  while  Luke  Strange 
strapped   and   unstrapped   roller-skates,   told 


58        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

stories,    and   played   nurse   generally   to    an 
exacting  master  of  six. 

"Aha!"  whispered  Angus  to  Billy,  when  he 
was  being  made  comfortable  for  the  night. 
"How's  that  for  the  first  touch-down?  Even 
if  I  did  make  it  with  just  one  knee!" 


CHAPTER  V 

At  the  Kent  home  in  Louisville.  Prepara- 
tions for  a  Christmas  Ball.  Mr.  William 
West  makes  the  most  of  his  oppor- 
tunities while  his  friend  is  confined  to 
his  room.  Christmas  shopping  and  a 
singular  conversation  overheard  by  Jane. 
Mrs.  Kent  and  Miss  Donovan  discuss 
Mr.  Strange  in  a  frivolous  manner 
after    dinner 

IN  the  windows  of  the  old  Kent  home  on 
Broadway,  holly  wreaths  tied  with  red 
ribbons,  against  a  background  of  spotless 
lace,  proclaimed  the  festive  season  near  at 
hand.  The  stone  flagging  and  steps  were 
of  that  gleaming  whiteness  so  dear  to  the 
hearts  of  good  housekeepers  in  this  smoke- 
ridden  city,  and  the  brass  bell  handle  and 
door  knobs  rivalled  in  their  brilliancy  the 
morning  sunshine. 
The    outside    impression    of    well-ordered 

59 


6o        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

comfort  and  good  cheer  was  happily  made 
good  within,  where  old-time  dignity  and 
modern  luxury  met  half  way.  There  was 
neither  stiffness  nor  overcrowding.  Heavy 
gilt  cornices  and  mirror  frames,  crystal-hung 
chandeliers  and  massive  marble  mantels, 
corresponded  with  lofty  ceilings  in  the  manner 
of  sixty  years  ago,  and  about  it  all  was  that 
air  of  permanency  which  in  these  days,  when 
the  average  American  "breaks  up"  —  in  ex- 
pressive phrase  —  every  few  years,  is  becom- 
ing rare. 

The  not  unpleasing  formality  of  the  draw- 
ing room,  with  its  heavily  carved  rosewood, 
its  gold  lacquer  cabinets,  Chinese  embroider- 
ies and  other  trophies  of  the  late  admiral's 
many  Eastern  voyages,  gave  place  in  the 
library,  which  opened  with  double  doors  at 
the  end  of  the  wide  hall,  to  the  happy  insou- 
ciance of  the  modern  living  room.  Here,  on 
the  morning  of  the  twenty-third,  in  a  basket- 
chair  of  generous  proportions,  a  cushion  at 
his  back,  sat  Mr.  William  West,  on  his  knees 
a  box  of  Christmas-tree  ornaments  which  he 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE         6i 

was  feebly  endeavouring  to  disentangle  from 
a  mass  of  clinging  tinsel.  At  a  desk  across 
the  room  a  lady  was  busily  writing.  Graceful 
shoulders  and  a  somewhat  elaborate  coiflFure 
were  all  that  was  visible  when  Heels,  burning 
to  make  a  remark,  but  fearing  to  interrupt, 
glanced  now  and  then  in  her  direction.  Sil- 
ence was  a  thing  Mr.  West  could  not  endure. 
He  was  born  for  society.  Fitfully  he  endeav- 
oured to  concentrate  upon  the  work  in 
hand,  only  to  be  further  distracted  by  the 
recurring  sound  of  feminine  laughter  which 
floated  down  the  stairway.  What  were  they 
laughing  at,  and  why  didn't  they  make 
haste? 

He  was  asking  himself  this  question  for  the 
twentieth  time  when  the  lady  at  the  desk 
turned  briskly,  saying:  "Did  you  ever  hear 
anything  like  the  way  those  girls  laugh!  T 
hope  you  are  as  patient  as  you  look,  Mr.  West. 
They'll  be  down  directly  now." 

"Oh,  I'm  all  right,  thank  you,  Mrs.  Kent," 
replied  Billy  brightening. 

"I   am  through,   thank  fortune!    This  is 


62         A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

the  thirty-ninth  Christmas  Card  I  have 
signed  my  name  to  this  morning."  With  a 
stack  of  envelopes  in  her  hands  Mrs.  Kent 
came  forward  and  seated  herself  near  him. 
"I  like  the  way  Jane  has  pressed  you  into 
service  to  undo  the  results  of  her  own  mis- 
deeds. To  think  of  cramming  that  stuff  in 
with  all  those  prickly  things!  How  is  your 
friend  Mr.  Carmichael  to-day?" 

Beaming  with  the  joy  of  a  released  puppy 
Billy  reported  his  friend  decidedly  better, 
but  under  orders  not  to  put  his  foot  to  the 
ground  for  at  least  three  days. 

"We  must  have  him  up  for  the  ball  on 
Christmas  Eve,"  said  Mrs.  Kent  smiling. 
"We  should  be  dreadfully  disappointed  if 
he  couldn't  come." 

Mrs.  Mansfield  Kent  was  not,  Billy  re- 
flected, exactly  the  sort  of  person  Miss  Dono- 
van had  led  him  to  expect. 

Naturally,  after  the  accident  the  travellers 
had  become  exceedingly  chummy,  and  of 
course  the  Kents  had  come  in  for  full  and 
free  discussion,  greatly  to  the  enlightenment 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        63 

of  Angus  and  Billy.  Nixie,  who  had  not  met 
Mrs.  Kent,  had  the  impression  from  Jane 
that  she  was  rather  —  well,  difficult.  Nixie 
fancied  —  not  that  Jane  had  said  so  —  that 
her  aunt  did  not  understand  her,  and  that  their 
ideas  about  things  differed  radically.  From 
some  other  source  Nixie  had  gathered  that 
Mrs.  Kent,  who  had  been  very  much  younger 
than  the  Admiral,  had  married  him  for  his 
money.  Angus  said  from  what  he  knew  of 
the  old  chap  there  had  not  been  much  else 
to  marry  him  for. 

"But  anyway,"  Nixie  added  loftily,  "you 
could  understand  she  wasn't  of  the  same  fibre 
as  Jane.  Of  course  there  was  no  real  relation- 
ship, she  was  merely  an  aunt-in-law." 

Mr.  Strange,  who  though  present,  had  up 
to  this  point  manifested  no  particular  interest 
in  the  characters  of  his  neighbours,  here  quietly 
remarked  that  as  a  blood  relation  Mrs.  Kent 
struck  him  as  more  desirable  than  the  Admiral. 

Because  of  the  impression  Nixie  had  some- 
how received,  and  also  perhaps  by  reason  of 
the  smartness  of  what  Jeremiah,  the  butler, 


64        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

would  have  called  her  "entitlement,"  they  had 
conceived  Mrs.  Mansfield  Kent  to  be  rather 
the  conventional  stage  chaperon,  an  illusion 
promptly  corrected  by  the  sight  of  her  dimple. 
What  business  had  a  chaperon  of  —  say  forty, 
with  a  dimple  in  her  cheek?  A  charming  one 
too.  One  can  never  tell  how  dimples  will  wear. 
They  sometimes  degenerate  early  into 
wrinkles,  but  Mrs.  Kent's,  it  was  plain  to 
be  seen,  was  a  plucky  dimple,  courageous, 
philosophic;  defying  or  rather  laughing  at 
Time,  and  finding  opportunities  in  life  even 
yet,  despite  the  touch  of  silver  in  her  abun- 
dant locks. 

Not  that  Mr.  West  formulated  matters 
thus.  He  perceived  in  Mrs.  Kent  a  comely, 
genial  person,  not  one  of  the  sort  to  spoil 
the  fun,  but  rather,  if  occasion  offered,  to 
take  a  hand  in  the  game  herself. 

"An  easy  fit,"  Mrs.  Kent's  dressmakers 
found  her,  and  the  phrase  broadly  applied 
will  serve  as  well  as  another  to  explain  the 
popularity  she  undoubtedly  enjoyed  among 
her  niece's  friends  as  well  as  her  own. 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        65 

Now  it  was  that  she  and  Billy  West  quickly 
fell  into  a  confidential  chat,  as  she  drew  her 
chair  nearer  and  began  to  help  with  the 
tinsel. 

"Mr.  Carmichael's  being  here  for  two 
whole  days,"  she  was  saying,  "without 
our  catching  a  glimpse  of  him  has  made  us 
quite  curious  to  see  him.  From  what  Luke  — 
Mr.  Strange,  says,  he  must  be  a  most  fasci- 
nating young  person." 

"Oh,  Gus  is  the  best  ever,"  Billy  assented 
enthusiastically,  then  he  came  to  a  dead  halt 
as  it  occurred  to  him  that  Angus,  without 
even  appearing  on  the  field,  had,  as  wounded 
hero,  won  the  first  inning.  His  sportsman 
instinct  asserted  itself,  and  he  resolved  to 
pay  more  attention  to  the  game. 

"Luke  says  his  high  spirits  are  simply 
inexhaustible,"  Mrs.  Kent  continued.  "And 
the  way  in  which  he  has  borne  this  really 
painful  injury " 

"Oh,  Gus  has  his  ups  and  downs  like  the 
rest  of  us,  so  far  as  that  goes."  Billy  held 
aloft  a  glittering  ball,  his  eyes  fixed  dreamily 


66        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

upon  its  iridescent  surface.  "He's  not  the 
original  Little  Sunbeam,"  he  added. 

Mrs.  Kent  regarded  him  smilingly.  "Mr. 
Carmichael  can't  have  very  much  to  worry 
him  —  twenty-two  —  good  looking — lots  of 
money." 

"Yes,"  Billy  assented,  not  sure  just  what 
tack  he  would  take,  but  all  alert  for  a  lead. 
"  Still  one  can  have  pretty  serious  experiences 
by  the  time  he's  twenty-two." 

"Don't  tell  me  he  has  been  disappointed 
in  love!     How  interesting." 

"Worse  than  that,"  said  Billy,  wondering 
the  while  what  was  worse. 

"Secretly    married,    and "    hazarded 

Mrs.  Kent. 

"Now,  whoever  told  you.?"  Billy  demanded. 

"Oh,  never  mind  —  a  bird  —  anything  — 
anybody  but  you  —  of  course  not  you." 

They  both  laughed.  Mrs.  Kent  presum- 
ably at  her  own  acuteness,  Billy  at  the 
thought  of  Angus  as  the  victim  of  a  mesalli- 
ance, and  of  how  amusing  he  would  be  in 
this  new  role. 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        67 

"Now  you've  got  to  tell  me  all  about  it," 
Mrs.  Kent  insisted,  mirth  still  shining  in  her 
eyes.  "It  is  the  most  di — I  mean  the  most 
romantic  thing  I  ever  heard.  Does  Mr. 
Strange  know?" 

"No,  no,  nobody  knows "  Billy  stam- 
mered. 

"Who  is  she  —  where  does  she  live?"  per- 
sisted the  lady. 

"  She  doesn't  live  anywhere  —  that  is, 
she " 

"You  don't  mean  she  is  dead?^^ 

The  swish  of  descending  skirts  broke  in 
upon  the  confidence. 

"I  don't  mean  anything.  You  are  jumping 
at  conclusions,"  said  Billy. 

"But  is  she  alive?    Tell  me  that." 

He  shook  his  head.  "And  not  a  hint  of 
this  to  Gus  when  you  see  him,  Mrs.  Kent. 
The  minute  he  gets  on  the  subject  he  goes 
nutty  —  all  right  as  long  as  he's  playing 
horse  —  but  down  and  out  as  soon  as  he 
tackles  love  and  marriage.  If  you  could 
just  drop  a  hint  to  Miss  Jane,  Mrs.  Kent," 


68        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

Billy  had  just  time  to  whisper  before  the  two 
girls,  all  feathers  and  fur  and  gaiety,  swept 
in  upon  them. 

"We  have  kept  you  an  unconscionable 
time,  Mr.  West,"  cried  Jane.  "But  Nixie 
had  a  very  important  letter  to  write." 

"Must  have  been  an  awfully  jolly  one. 
Don't  you  say  so,  Mrs.  Kent?  Wish  I  were 
going  to  get  it.  Mayn't  I  have  the  pleasure 
of  mailing  it?  I'm  to  put  Mrs.  Kent's  cards 
in  the  box."  And  Billy  having  at  last  got 
clear  of  the  tinsel,  shook  hands  with  the  girls. 

"Too  bad  we  didn't  think  about  you,  isn't 
it,  Jane?  but  it's  gone  by  a  special  messenger," 
said  Nixie. 

"Before  you  go  I  want  your  opinion  about 
the  tree.  They'll  be  bringing  it  in  presently. 
Where  shall  it  be?  —  at  the  end  of  the  draw- 
ing room,  or  will  it  be  in  the  way  of  the  danc- 
ing there?"  asked  Mrs.  Kent. 

"Oh,  here  in  the  library  by  all  means," 
said  Jane.  "Have  the  doors  closed  until  it 
is  lighted  just  before  supper.  It  will  be 
ever  so  much  more  effective." 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        69 

"I  believe  you  are  right.  Mercy  upon  us! 
Where  has  the  morning  gone?  I  promised 
Luke  I'd  meet  him  at  Blank's  at  12:30  to 
help  him  select  a  present  for  the  new  parish 
house,  and  it  is  after  eleven  now.  Jane  you'll 
have  to  see  about  the  Santa  Claus  outfit 
yourself.  Mr.  Mason  at  Gielou's  is  the 
one  to  go  to." 

It  was  this  commission  that  caused  Jane 
an  hour  later  to  separate  from  her  compan- 
ions with  the  understanding  that  they  were 
to  meet  her  at  Blank's. 

When  she  entered  the  art  store  they  were 
not  in  evidence  and  remembering  some  photo- 
graphs she  wanted,  she  took  the  elevator  to 
the  second  floor.  Busily  engaged  in  making 
her  selection  from  a  large  assortment  of 
samples  arranged  for  convenience  upon  a 
revolving  many-leafed  screen,  Jane  suddenly 
became  aware  of  familiar  voices  in  conversa- 
tion on  the  other  side  of  it. 

"But  I  know  this  paragon  of  all  perfec- 
tions better  than  you  can  possibly  know  her, 
my  dear  Luke."     said  Mrs.   Kent,   "and   I 


70        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

repeat  what  I  have  said  before,  I  fear  she  is 
not  the  wife  for  a  clergyman.  She  has  a 
frivolous  vein  —  believe  me." 

Mr.  Strange's  voice  interrupted.  "On  the 
contrary  —  pardon  me  —  she  is  dignity  itself 
when  she  wishes  to  be,  and  her  charming 
grace  would  render  her  —  but  after  all,  it  is 
not  the  minister  who  wants  her,  it's  the  man." 

"That's  very  nicely  said,  Luke.     Sometimes 

—  I  almost But  listen  to  me.     Consider 

the  diiference  in  age  —  that  is  a  valid  objec- 
tion at  any  rate.  And  your  mother  —  let 
matters  remain  as    they  are  for  the  present." 

"Dear  lady,  I'll  try  to  respect  your  wishes 

—  much  as  I  should  like  to  argue  certain 
points  with  you  —  until  I  finish  my  course 
at  Yale,  then,  but  —  are  you  laughing .f*" 

"I  was  only  thinking  how  afraid  I  am  of 
Jane.     I  wouldn't  have  her  know  for  worlds 

that "    They  moved  away,  and  the  young 

lady  behind  the  screen  with  hot  cheeks  and 
beating  heart,  heard  no  more. 

She  wished  indignantly  that  she  could 
understand   Luke   Strange's   veneration  —  it 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        71 

amounted  to  that  —  for  Aunt  Marcia's 
opinion.  His  ideas  were  old  fashioned,  and 
yet  chivalrous  too;  but  the  idea,  if  he  had 
any   such  —  intentions  —  of   confiding   them 

to And  frivolous!     Not   the  wife  for  a 

clergyman!  Well  goodness  knows  she  had 
no  ambition  to  fill  such  a  position.  She  had 
always  liked  Mr.  Strange.  He  had  made 
rather  a  pet  of  her  ten  years  ago;  but  it  had 
actually  never  occurred  to  her,  that  he  might 
—  well  —  honestly,  she  had  thought  of  him 
as  too  old  —  over  thirty.  He  had  been 
awfully  nice  to  her.  But  to  have  him  deliber- 
ately warned  against  her,  by  her  own  aunt! 
"Afraid  of  Jane,"  indeed!  How  about  a 
guilty  conscience? 

Jane  found  it  difficult  to  decide  on  a  line 
of  conduct.  Should  she  so  encourage  Luke 
Strange  as  to  wring  from  him  the  declaration 
he  had  promised  not  to  make.f*  No,  she  was 
not  enough  of  a  flirt  for  that,  besides  she 
recognized  it  would  be  a  waste  of  time  at 
present  —  even  for  the  sake  of  showing 
Aunt  Marcia  a  thing  or  two. 


72        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

When  she  descended  to  the  lower  floor, 
still  with  heightened  colour,  there  were  Nixie 
and  Billy  chatting  with  Mr.  Strange  and  Mrs. 
Kent,  who  seemed  somehow  astonishingly  at 
their  ease. 

As  if  this  were  not  enough  for  one  day. 
Nixie  came  to  her  as  they  were  dressing  for 
dinner,  all  excitement  over  the  mysterious 
tragedy  that  shadowed  Angus  Carmichael, 
which  Mrs.  Kent  according  to  instructions 
had  passed  on. 

"And  you'd  never  suspect  it,"  said  Nixie, 
dramatically  waving  her  hair  brush.  "Lying 
there  in  the  car  with  his  knee  giving  him  fits, 
he  told  jokes  that  almost  finished  me.  And 
I'm  perfectly  crazy  about  his  laugh !  But  then 
he  may  be  just  trying  to  hide  his  real  feelings. 
I'm  simply  mad  to  know  all  about  it." 

To  Jane  life  seemed  for  the  moment  to  be 
tinged  with  melancholy  and  at  dinner  she 
was  a  bit  absent.  Just  why  she  was  so 
interested  in  this  unknown  person  she  could  not 
imagine.  To  be  sure  she  had  heard  enough 
about  him  in   the  past  few  days,  but   that 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        73 

scarcely  warranted  the  little  quickening  of  her 
pulse  every  time  his   name  was  mentioned. 

Over  the  coflfee,  in  the  drawing  room,  the 
conversation  turned  upon  Luke  Strange. 

"I  heard  him  preach  a  sermon  up  in  Sum- 
mit," Nixie  was  saying,  "a  dandy  sermon. 
He's  a  perfect  dream  in  his  surplice,  Mrs. 
Kent.  His  legs  look  oceans  longer  when  you 
can't  see  them." 

Mrs.  Kent  laughed  (heartlessly,  it  seemed 
to  Jane).  "You  live  up  to  your  name  so 
delightfully.  Nixie,"  she  said. 

*'0h,  I  suppose  you  mean  I'm  Irish.  But 
now  honestly,  his  legs  are  short,  you  can't 
deny  it." 

"Luke  is  not  an  Adonis,  but  his  heart's 
all  right,"  Mrs.  Kent  replied. 

"Oh,  yes,"  said  Nixie,  and  jumping  up 
she  went  waltzing  around  the  room  singing: 

"  His  eyes  they  are  a  trifle  crossed 
An  upper  molar  he  has  lost. 
I  grieve  to  say  the  top  of  his  head 
Reminds  us  now  of  Uncle  Ned. 
But  we  love  him  still,  all  this  despite 
For  though  he's  Strange,  his  heart's  all  right.'* 


74        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

"Nixie  that  is  too  bad  of  you.  /  think  Mr. 
Strange  is  very  good  looking.  He  has  a 
strong  face,"  Jane  said  with  dignity. 

"Listen  to  Jane.  What's  come  over  the 
spirit  of  her  dreams?  Do  you  think  I'm 
terribly  disrespectful,  Mrs.  Kent?"  Nixie 
sank  in  a  graceful  whirl  at  the  feet  of  her 
hostess.  "I  forget  he's  a  minister,  you  know, 
and  I  like  him  awfully." 

"Don't  fear.  I  shall  not  take  you  ser- 
iously," laughed  Mrs.  Kent.  "Mr.  Strange's 
legs  may  be  short,  but  as  the  boys  say,  he 
gets  there  just  the  same." 

"On  his  jaw?"  suggested  Nixie,  tentatively. 


CHAPTER  VI 

Shows  how  the  wounded  hero^  chafing  at  his 
confinement,  makes  friends  with  Mrs. 
Binkins  who  acts  as  Lovers  Messenger, 
conveying  flowers  and  unsigned  notes 
from  next  door;  how  this  lady,  assisted 
by  Mike  Fahey,  the  policeman,  connives 
at  an  act  of  insubordination;  and  how 
as  the  climax  is  reached,  the  lights 
go  out 

WHILE  things  were  thus  making  progress 
in  the  Kent  household,  the  semi-invalid 
next  door  was  impotently  railing  at  his  en- 
forced captivity. 

The  doctor,  a  human  refrigerator,  whose 
emotions  had  been  in  cold  storage  for  half  a 
century,  had  put  the  injured  leg  in  plaster, 
with  the  firm  injunction  that  it  was  not  to 
be  used  until  he  gave  permission. 

On  the  best  couch  of  the  large  gloomy  guest 
room  in  a  large  empty  house,  with  a  pile  of 

75 


76        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

magazines  and  novels  at  his  elbow  and  an 
unlimited  supply  of  tobacco,  Angus  was 
practically  left  to  his  fate. 

Several  times  a  day  Strange  and  Billy 
came  in  to  see  him,  the  former  full  of  concern 
for  his  comfort,  and  the  latter  a  veritable 
Job's  comforter  in  his  glowing  accounts 
of  all  the  good  times  that  were  being 
missed. 

Had  it  not  been  that  Love  found  a  messen- 
ger in  the  formidable  person  of  Mrs.  Binkins, 
his  lot  would  have  been  insupportable. 
That  lady  sympathized  through  experience. 
She  had  been  disappointed  in  love,  not  be- 
fore, but  after  marriage.  Her  hair  drawn 
out  to  a  relentless  knot  on  top,  gave  evidence 
of  her  complete  renunciation  of  all  feminine 
pride.  For  twenty  years  her  emotional 
nature  had  found  vent  in  managing  the 
Strange  household,  and  in  following  a  counsel 
of  perfection  in  domestic  economics  that 
made  her  the  unpopular  paragon  of  the 
neighbourhood. 

When  sundry  small  gray  notes  and  bunches 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        77 

of  flowers  were  left  at  the  side  entrance, 
Mrs.  Binkins  delivered  them  perfunctorily, 
but  gradually  her  interest  awoke.  Angus 
received  them  with  such  bursts  of  enthu- 
siasm, and  such  profound  gratitude  to  her 
for  having  conveyed  them  upstairs,  that 
she  began  to  experience  the  pleasure  that 
should  have  been  the  giver's. 

"And  there  was  no  message?"  Angus 
would  ask  each  time  as  he  scanned  the 
unsigned  notes. 

"Not  a  word,  sir,  but  I  reckon  they're 
from  Miss  Jane  Kent.  Their  nigger,  that 
ain't  worth  killing,  hands  'em  in  at  the  door, 
and  ain't  even  got  the  manners  to  wipe  his 
dirty  shoes  on  the  mat." 

Then  Angus  would  lie  with  the  notes 
in  his  hand,  and  dream  rapturously  of  Jane, 
of  her  voice  with  its  soft  Southern  intona- 
tions, of  the  curve  of  her  cheek,  and  the 
twinkling  gleam  of  her  eyes  under  the 
demure  eyelashes.  And  even  as  he  was 
thinking,  a  ringing  laugh  from  without  would 
cause  him  to  crane  his  neck  to  catch  a  glimpse 


78        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

of  whirling  petticoats  and  a  saucy  face  under 
a  tangle  of  red  hair,  and  he  would  recall  the 
tender  ministries  on  the  sleeping  car,  and 
realize  that  a  certain  tricksy  little  Nixie 
girl  remained  to  be  dealt  with. 

All  his  hopes  centred  on  the  Christmas 
Eve  dance,  and  he  obeyed  orders  with  amaz- 
ing docility,  counting  definitely  upon  being 
able  to  go. 

The  day  dawned  crisp  and  fair,  there  was 
something  in  the  snappy  snow-flaked  air 
that  would  have  sung  Christmas  to  the  deaf 
and  blind.  It  was  a  time  of  mystery,  holly, 
and  expectation,  of  hurry  and  preparation,, 
and  the  spirit  of  it  penetrated  into  the  silent 
house  and  to  the  big  gloomy  room  where 
Angus  lay  in  solitary  state. 

"When  is  the  doctor  coming.?"  he  asked 
for  the  fifth  time  as  Mrs.  Binkins  passed  the 
door. 

"He's  on  the  steps  now,  sir.  And  it's  a 
straight  chair,  and  hot  water,  and  cold  water, 
and  more  light  he'll  be  asking  for  before  he 
gets  well  into  the  room!" 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        79 

Angus's  feelings  dropped  a  degree  when  he 
saw  the  cold,  severe  features  of  Dr.  White 
which  refused  to  be  warmed  up  by  his  long, 
sharp,  red  nose.  Nothing  seemed  to  exist 
in  his  presence,  nothing  mattered  but  hard, 
medical  facts. 

"Say,  Doc,"  Angus  began  with  forced 
cheerfulness,  "what's  the  matter  with  taking 
this  plaster  oflF  to-day .f*  I'm  feeling  bully, 
honest  I  am,  and  don't  you  think  we  ought  to 
let  Nature  do  its  own  work.?" 

The  doctor  silently  continued  his  examina- 
tion. 

"You  see,"  continued  Angus  fervently, 
"I've  come  all  the  way  down  here  for  this 
dance  to-night  at  Mrs.  Kent's.  Lots  of 
things  depend  on  it,  awfully  important  things. 
Just  get  me  out  of  this  trapping  and  let  me 
go  to-night,  and  I'll  promise  you  the  time  of 
your  life  the  next  time  you  come  to  New 
York." 

Dr.  White  gave  him  one  glance  over  the 
rims  of  his  glasses,  a  glance  that  blighted 
his  budding  hopes. 


8o        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

"Mr.  Carmichael,"  he  said,  "I  am  in  no 
way  responsible  for  the  circumstances  that 
led  to  this  accident;  but  I  am  responsible 
for  the  proper  healing  of  this  wound.  That 
plaster  must  remain  at  least  a  week,  and 
while  you  may  try  to  walk  a  little  to-morrow, 
with  the  aid  of  two  canes,  I  must  insist  upon 
your  not  leaving  your  room." 

"But,  Doc,  not  just  for  to-night.?" 

"That  remains  with  you,"  said  the  doctor 
stiffly.     "I  have  given  my  advice." 

As  the  door  closed  behind  him  Angus 
shook  a  resentful  fist,  and  Mrs.  Binkins 
sniffed  indignantly  as  she  straightened  the 
coverlet  on  the  couch. 

"Some  folks  has  got  vinegar  in  their 
veins,"  she  said,  putting  things  to  rights  as 
she  talked.  "But  I  wouldn't  fret  Mr.  Car- 
michael, over  missing  them  high-falutin' 
goings-on  next  door.  When  you  come  right 
down  to  think  about  it,  it's  kinder  foolish, 
not  to  say  wicked  to  lay  so  much  stress  on 
eating  and  dancing,  and  all  that.  Now 
there's   Mr.    Luke,    as   is   studying   to  be   a 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE         Si 

preacher.  He  ain't  got  his  mind  on  religion. 
Why  he  ain't  opened  a  study-book  since  he 
come  home.  He  don't  do  nothing  when 
he's  in  the  study,  but  just  set  in  his  big 
chair  with  his  eyes  shut  and  a  kind  of  a  baby 
smile  on  his  face." 

Angus  laughed  in  spite  of  the  low  state  of 
his  mind. 

"And  then,"  went  on  his  comforter, 
"there's  that  Mr.  Heel  or  whatever  his  name 
is.  If  you'll  excuse  me  for  saying  so,  he's 
got  the  funniest  manners  I  ever  met  up  with ! 
Why  he  don't  give  them  young  ladies  time 
to  primp  up  none.  And  it  won't  be  no 
time  till  he's  just  as  keen  about  a  fresh  lot." 

"Not  on  your  life,  Mrs.  Binkins!  These 
are  specially  designed  and  there  aren't  any 
duplicates.  Jove!  but  I  wish  this  confounded 
leg   was    well.     Wonder    if    I    can    hobble?" 

Before  he  could  find  out  Luke  Strange  and 
Billy  rushed  in,  the  latter  as  if  storming  a 
fort. 

"Well  old  fellow,  how  you  making  it?" 
he  cried.  "Isn't  this  a  day!     You  should  see 


82        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

our  decorations  next  door,  all  wreaths  and 
mistletoe  and  girls!"  He  paused.  "But  I 
say,  old  man,  what's  the  matter?  Does 
your  knee  hurt  you?  or  are  you  worried 
about  it?" 

"Not  at  all,"  said  Angus  with  fine  sarcasm, 
"my  health  is  perfect  and  my  mind  so  calm 
that  I'm  about  to  pass  into  a  stupor." 

"What  did  Pills  say?"  asked  Heels. 

"Said  I  could  walk  gently  about  the  room 
but  not  leave  it.     Blame  his  baby-coddling!" 

The  Rev.  Luke  pulled  up  a  chair  to  the 
couch . 

"I  am  very  sorry  about  this,  Carmichael. 
I  wonder  if  we  could  get  you  over  to  Mrs. 
Kent's  in  a  roller  chair?" 

"Never,"  declared  Angus  stoutly,  "I  draw 
the  line  at  perambulators!"  Then  seeing 
the  real  concern  in  the  preacher's  face,  he 
gripped  his  hand,  and  added,  "I've  been  a 
confounded  nuisance  to  you,  Strange.  Don't 
you  bother  about  me  for  a  second.  Mrs. 
Binkins  looks  after  me  beautifully,  and  I'll 
be  all  right  in  a  day  or  two.'* 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        83 

"Well,  I  will  tell  you  what  we  can  do," 
said  Strange.  "The  room  back  of  this  has  a 
large  bay  window.  Suppose  we  move  your 
couch  in  there,  and  ask  Mrs.  Kent  to  leave 
the  shutters  open  on  this  side  of  the  house. 
In  this  way  you  can  at  least  catch  a  glimpse 
of  the  dancers  and  the  decorations." 

"Oh  you  needn't  bother,"  said  Angus 
disconsolately,  "I  have  some  other  things  to 
do." 

"What  for  one?"  asked  Heels. 

"I  think  I'll  put  in  some  licks  for  the  mid- 
year's in  February,"  said  Angus. 

Strange  smiled,  and  Heels  howled  as  he 
dodged  a  well  aimed  slipper. 

"Things  will  brighten  up  to-morrow,"  said 
the  minister  cheerfully.  "I  wonder  how  it 
would  do  to  ask  them  all  over  here  to  dinner." 

The  plan  was  so  enthusiastically  received 
that  he  rang  for  Mrs.  Binkins. 

She    arrived    breathless    and    belligerent. 

"Well  it  do  seem  a  short  time  to  ask  a 
person  to  get  up  a  dinner  in,  with  a  fool  for 
a  cook,  and  half  a  maid  short,  and  turkeys 


84        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

scarcer  than  hens'  teeth.  Still  if  it's  your 
order,  sir " 

Strange  laughed.  "Now  Binkie  you  know 
you  can  get  up  a  better  dinner  in  half  a  day 
than  most  people  can  in  a  week.  You  remem- 
ber what  Mike  Fahey  told  me  about  your 
cake.?" 

"He's  a  blarneying  old  Irishman,"  said 
Mrs.  Binkins,  but  the  shot  had  gone  home. 

While  the  other  two  men  went  to  their 
rooms  to  dress,  Angus  partook  of  his  lonely 
dinner  from  a  tray.  His  sorrows  were  slightly 
assuaged  by  the  thought  of  the  dinner  on 
the  morrow.  Of  course  the  guests  would  be 
brought  up  to  see  him,  and  perhaps  by  some 
adroit  managing  he  might  get  a  private  word 
with  Jane.  Of  course  she  would  recognize 
him  at  once,  and  explanations  would  follow, 
and  after  explanations  —  well  Angus  asked 
only  a  smile  from  Fate  to  cover  all  the  ground 
he  had  lost. 

After  an  elaborate  toilet  Heels  came  in, 
fresh  and  glowing,  flaunting  a  carnation  in 
the  button-hole  of  his  evening  coat. 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE         85 

Angus  refused  to  look  up. 

"Awfully  sorry,  old  chap,"  said  Heels, 
adjusting  a  cuff  button,  and  in  a  tone  which 
indicated  that  his  thoughts  were  elsewhere. 

"All  of  them  sent  their  regards,  and  said  how 
sorry  they  were,  and  all  that.  Miss  Donovan 
especially  will  miss  you  awfully." 

"And  Miss  Kent.^*"  asked  Angus  from  the 
depths  of  his  lounging  robe. 

"Oh  she  doesn't  know  she  knows  you,  you 
see.     I've  never  chirped  about  the  matter." 

"But  don't  you  think  she  kind  of  suspects 
it.''  Hasn't  she  ever  asked  you  if  you  knew 
a  fellow  at  college  that  —  that  might  be  me?'* 

"Never,"  declared  Heels,  "the  only  person 
she  ever  asked  me  about  was  an  awfully 
good  looking  big  chap  that  lived  at  Montclair, 
New  Jersey.  I  don't  know  anybody  that 
fits,  do  you?  And  say  Gus,  you  know 
we  thought  Strange  was  rather  gone  in  that 
direction?  Well  /  haven't  seen  any  signs 
of  it!     Fact  is  I  believe  I've  got  a  clear  field." 

^^You*ve  got  a  clear  field!"  exclaimed 
Angus,    sitting     bolt     upright.     "Well     for 


86        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

Heaven's  sake!  The  great  Irresistible! 
The  original  Winner!  The  only  pimple  on 
the  pickle,  I  suppose?" 

Heels  quailed  before  this  outburst.  "Well 
I  couldn't  help  your  getting  hurt  playing 
hero  to  another  girl,  could  I?  Miss  Kent 
and  I  have  been  thrown  together  a  lot  this 
week,  and  she  hasn't  minded  showing  me 
that  she  likes  me  a  little.  Besides  —  a 
clear  field  wasn't  it?" 

Angus  refused  to  continue  the  subject, 
and  lapsed  into  ominous  silence,  while  Heels 
admired  his  beaming  countenance  in  the 
mirror  over  the  mantel,  and  finally  took  his 
departure.  A  few  minutes  later  Strange 
looked  in  to  see  that  his  guest  was  comfort- 
able, and  to  bid  him  good-night. 

Left  alone  in  the  big  house,  Carmichael 
felt  the  clouds  closing  in  on  him.  It  was  now 
nine-thirty,  and  at  least  fifteen  long,  miser- 
able hours  must  pass  before  there  was  a 
chance  of  his  seeing  Jane  and  diagnosing  the 
case  for  himself. 

He    tried    to    play    solitaire,    but    such    a 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        87 

minor  victory  as  self-defeat  bored  him.  He 
picked  up  a  book  and  turned  the  leaves  idly. 
Presently  a  sentence  caught  his  eye: 

"And  at  all  times  the  body  can  be  made 
subject  to  the  mind." 

He  read  on  for  several  pages,  then  lay 
back  with  his  arms  behind  his  head.  "A 
lot  they  know  about  it,"  he  mused  to  him- 
self, "  the  old  icicle  is  cocksure  he's  right, 
and  this  duifer  who  claims  exactly  the  oppo- 
site knows  that  he  is  right.  What's  the  truth 
of  it  anyhow?" 

The  sound  of  music  brought  him  to  a 
sitting  posture.  It  was  bad  enough  to  spend 
Christmas  Eve  in  a  big  lonesome  house  alone, 
but  to  be  constantly  reminded  of  the  revelry 
next  door  was  almost  unbearable. 

Holding  on  to  the  chairs  and  table  he 
dragged  himself  into  the  next  room.  True  to 
his  promise  Strange  had  arranged  that  the 
shades  on  that  side  of  the  Kent  house  should 
be  left  up,  and  Angus  could  catch  glimpses 
of  what  was  going  on,  both  within  and  with- 
out. 


88        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

Carriages  and  motors  were  arriving  and 
departing,  lights  were  flashing,  and  he  could 
hear  the  chatter  and  laughter  that  followed 
the  arrival  of  each  new  guest. 

With  a  savage  gesture  he  lowered  the  sash 
and  jerked  down  the  shades. 

Once  more  safe  on  his  couch,  he  plunged 
into  a  detective  story,  and  managed  to  pass 
a  couple  of  miserable  hours.  At  the  end  of 
that  time  his  restlessness  brought  him  again 
to  the  side  window.  This  time  he  flattened 
his  forehead  against  the  pane,  and  wistfully 
watched  the  gay  gowns  as  they  flitted  across 
his  line  of  vision. 

Presently  the  music  began  again,  and  his 
feet  tingled,  and  his  lame  knee  twitched 
beneath  its  plaster. 

"Oh  listen,  will  you?"  he  cried  to  the  silent 
room.  "I've  danced  a  thousand  miles  to 
that  old  tune!" 

Suddenly  he  started  and  caught  his  breath. 
Across  the  window  a  golden  butterfly  of  a 
girl  had  drifted,  her  face  lifted  to  her  partner, 
her  white  arm  gleaming  against  the  black  of 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE         89 

his  coat.  It  was  Jane,  and  she  was  waltzing 
with  Heels! 

"I'll  be  darned  if  I  stand  it!"  said  Angus, 
with  the  fervour  of  a  tragedian.  "Mind  over 
body  is  it?  Well  I'll  take  my  chances  with 
the  duffer!" 

Two  minutes  later  Mrs.  Binkins  was  roused 
from  her  slumbers  by  an  imperious  ring  of 
Mr.  Carmichael's  bell. 

Presenting  herself  at  his  door,  in  no  very 
amiable  mood,  she  was  surprised  to  see  him 
standing  beside  the  dresser,  madly  tossing 
about  the  contents  of  the  middle  drawer, 
while  a  wild  look  of  excited  determination 
beamed  from  his  eye. 

"Mrs.  Binkins,"  he  began  in  the  wheedling 
tone  his  mother  had  learned  to  distrust  before 
he  was  five,  "you've  been  awfully  good  to  me 
since  I've  been  down  here.  You  know  I've 
been  an  awful  nuisance." 

"Well  you  better  set  down,"  said  she, 
with  an  eye  to  the  practical. 

"I  feel  cut  up  about  not  being  able  to  get 
you  a  Christmas  present.     You  won't  mind, 


90        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

perhaps,  after  I  go  back  to  New  York,  if  I 
send  you  a  little  something,  just  to  show  my 
appreciation?" 

Mrs.  Binkins  looked  at  him  suspiciously, 
then  she  softened.  "  I  had  a  cousin  once  that 
worked  for  a  lady  that  lived  in  New  York 
City.     She  had  a  beeret." 

"A  what?"  asked  Angus. 

"A  beeret,  a  pin  for  the  back  of  your  hair. 
You  can  get  a  tolerable  dressy  one  for  seven- 
ty-five cents." 

"A  barette  it  shall  be,"  said  Angus  heartily. 
"And  now  you  want  to  make  me  happy, 
don't  you?" 

Mrs.  Binkins  retired  to  the  rim  of  her 
shell  and  waited  uncertainly. 

"You  see  I've  decided  to  go  to  the  ball, 
and  you  must  help  me." 

"But  oh,  sir!  It's  so  late,  you  hadn't  orter," 
cried  Mrs.  Binkins,  horrified.  "Dr.  White 
said    you    mustn't  budge  outer  this  room!" 

"Hang  Dr.  White!  he  can  go  to  —  well 
anywhere  he  likes,  but  /  am  going  to  the  ball, 
and  you  are  going  to  help  me!" 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        91 

Mrs.  Binkins  was  full  of  protests  and  alarms. 

"  See  here,  Mrs.  Binkins,"  said  Angus 
at  last,  in  his  most  persuasive  manner,  "if 
you  had  a  son  like  me  —  of  course  you  are  far 
too  young  —  but  if  you  did  have  one,  would 
you  like  to  see  him  disappointed  in  one  of 
the  biggest  wishes  he  ever  had  in  his  life? 
All  sorts  of  things  depend  on  to-night,  my 
whole  future  happiness,  perhaps.  I'll  be 
careful  not  to  hurt  my  knee.  All  I  want  is 
just  a  little  waiting  on,  somebody  to  help 
get  out  my  glad  rags,  and  give  me  an  occa- 
sional  hand.     You'll   help  me,  won't  you?" 

There  was  no  refusing  him,  and  Mrs. 
Binkins,  breathing  protests  and  foretelling 
dire  consequences,  arranged  his  clothes  and 
put  the  necessary  toilet  articles  within  reach, 
then  discreetly  retired  to  the  hall  and 
waited. 

To  get  dressed  had  been  Carmichael's 
one  thought,  but  when  he  was  arrayed  and 
presented  himself  before  Mrs.  Binkins,  a 
new  difficulty  arose. 

"I    never    thought    about    getting    down 


92        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

stairs.  Isn't  there  a  servant  on  the  place?" 
asked  Carmichael. 

"On  Christmas  Eve,  sir?"  said  Mrs. 
Binkins  reproachfully. 

"Well  I've  got  to  get  down,"  declared 
Angus,  "  if  I  have  to  slide  down  the  banisters !  " 

Mrs.  Binkins  looked  alarmed.  "If  you 
will  stand  quiet  there  on  your  good  leg,  for  a 
minute,  and  quit  doing  them  Highland  flings, 
I'll  see  what  I  can  do,  though  goodness 
knows  I  ain't  encouraging  you  to  all  this 
foolishness." 

"I'll  await  my  love! 
I'll  await  my  love, 
And  I'll  be  as  still 
As  the  stars  above!" 

sang  Carmichael  with  all  the  fervour  of  a 
virtuoso. 

Mrs.  Binkins  passed  into  her  own  room 
and  stood  for  a  moment  irresolute.  Then 
taking  from  her  bureau  drawer  a  small 
policeman's  whistle,  she  opened  her  window 
and  looked  carefully  up  and  down  the  side 
street.  Gaining  courage  from  the  deserted 
thoroughfare  she  put  the  whistle  to  her  lips 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        93 

and  blew.  The  result  was  so  shrill  and  ag- 
gressive, so  absolutely  insulting  to  the  quiet 
of  the  midnight,  that  Mrs.  Binkins  promptly 
drew  in  her  head,  and  closed    the    window. 

It  was  not  the  mere  noise  of  the  whistle 
that  agitated  the  heart  of  Mrs.  Binkins,  it 
was  a  far  deeper  and  more  romantic  matter. 
The  small  whistle  had  been  presented  to  her 
months  ago  by  Mr.  Mike  Fahey,  the  police- 
man on  that  beat,  with  the  earnest  request 
that  she  should  blow  it  when  she  wanted  him. 
And  Mrs.  Binkins  had  sternly  and  scorn- 
fully refused  to  use  it,  though  she  was  quite 
aware  that  Mike  wanted  to  be  wanted  very 
much. 

But  to-night  there  was  a  reason:  that  wild 
young  gentleman  in  the  hall  was  threatening 
to  kill  himself  if  she  didn't  get  him  down 
stairs;  and  besides  it  was  Christmas  Eve, 
and  rather  lonely,  and  the  strains  of  music 
from  next  door  had  stirred  the  ashes  in  a 
withered  heart  and  revealed  a  glowing  ember. 

An  imperative  knock  at  the  side  door  sent 
her  scurrying  down  the  stairs. 


94        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

A  very  fat  person  in  a  tight  blue  uniform, 
his  pudgy  face  full  of  concern  and  his  billy 
firmly  in  his  hand,  presented  himself  breath- 
lessly before  her. 

"  Is  it  a  burglar  yeVe  caught,  Mrs.  Binkins  ?" 
he  gasped. 

"It  is  not,"  said  the  lady. 

"Thim  bad  boys  a-throwing  snow  balls 
at  yer  window,  is  it?" 

"It  is  not,"  said  the  lady. 

Slowly  Mike's  concern  gave  place  to  com- 
plaisance. 

"It  surely  ain't  me  company  ye're  seeking?" 
he  asked,  with  such  an  ingratiating  smile 
that  Mrs.  Binkins  hastened  to  enlighten  him. 

"That  man  ain't  living,  nor  you  might 
say  dead  neither,  Mr.  Mike  Fahey,  whose 
company  I'd  be  whistling  for  in  the  dead  of 
the  night.    I  sent  for  you  to  do  me  a  favour." 

"Consider   it   did,"    he   gallantly    replied. 

"There's  a  young  New  York  gentleman 
up-stairs,"  said  Mrs.  Binkins,  plunging  into 
business,  "who's  got  a  stiff  leg  in  plaster, 
and  says  he's  going  next  door  to  the  dance 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        95 

if  he  has  to  slide  down  the  banisters.  He 
has  his  orders  not  to  put  his  leg  to  the  floor 
and  like  as  not  he's  playing  football  with  the 
sofa  pillows  this  very  minute!" 

"And  it's  locking  him  up  ye  want?" 

"To  be  sure  it  is  not,"  said  Mrs.  Binkins, 
"I  want  you  to  help  him  down  the  stairs 
and  across  the  yard." 

"Aginst  orders?"  protested  the  servant  of 
the  law. 

"Against  fiddle-sticks,"  said  Mrs.  Binkins. 
"Neither  you  nor  me,  nor  earthquakes  nor 
tornadoes,  could  stop  Mr.  Angus  from  going 
to  that  ball.  Listen  at  him  singing  up  there 
now!  Like  as  not  he's  dancin'  too.  Will 
you  come?" 

But  Mike  was  dubious.  It  was  one  thing 
to  grant  a  favour  to  a  lady  whose  favour  he 
desired  in  return,  and  quite  another  to  assist 
a  young  gentleman  to  violate  the  orders  of 
his  physician,  and  perhaps  cripple  himself 
for  life. 

Mrs.  Binkins  realized  that  diplomacy  was 
necessary. 


96        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

"A  little  exercise  ain't  agoin'  amiss  with 
that  stiff  leg,  and  it's  better  for  us  to  help 
him  than  for  him  to  try  it  alone,  as  try  it  he 
will.  You  surely  ain't  fergittin'  the  kind- 
nesses I've  done  you,  Mr.  Fahey,  the  hot 
coffee  and  on  yer  first  round,  the  little  snack 
set  out  when  the  weather's  bad?" 

"Fergittin'  food  that's  fit  for  presidents.? 
Not  me!"  declared  Mike  stoutly. 

"And  the  young  gentleman,"  went  on 
Mrs.  Binkins,  "he  thinks  he's  in  love  with 
one  of  them  flighty-headed  girls  next  door. 
He's  bound  he's  got  to  see  her  before  the 
night's  over.  Don't  you  ever  mind  the  time 
when  you  thought  you  was  in  love,  Mr. 
Fahey?" 

"Lead  the  way  up!"  cried  Mike  in  com- 
plete surrender. 

A  few  minutes  later  a  hilarious  party  of 
three  descended  the  broad  stairs.  In  the 
centre  a  young  man  in  evening  dress,  with  one 
arm  about  the  neck  of  the  policeman,  and 
the  other  about  the  neck  of  the  housekeeper, 
hopped  from  step   to  step,  punctuating  his 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE        97 

progress  with  remarks  that  threatened  to 
render  his  assistants  useless. 

"  For  shame  on  you,  Mr.  Angus,  a  mocking 
the  doctor  like  that!"  cried  Mrs.  Binkins 
at  the  bottom  step  as  she  wiped  away  the 
tears  of  laughter.  "Don't  you  ever  let  on 
to  Mr.  Luke  who  it  was  helped  you  down. 
I  don't  know  what's  come  over  me  and  Mr. 
Fahey    to    countenance    such    proceedin's." 

The  side  door  bell  rang,  and  Carmichael 
grasped  Mike's  arm. 

"Hush,  don't  let  anybody  know  I'm  here. 
I  want  to  surprise   the   crowd   next  door." 

In  the  entry  Mrs.  Binkins  found  a  coloured 
waiter    bearing    a    large    tray    of   delicacies. 

"Mrs.  Kent  says  dis  heah  is  fer  de  sick 
gem'man,  an'  she's  powerful  sorry  he  can't 
come  to  de  party,"  was  the  message  delivered. 

Mrs.  Binkins  hesitated  but  for  a  moment, 
then  with  a  quick  backward  glance  at  Mr. 
Fahey  in  the  dim  hall,  she  shamelessly  allowed 
the  crowded  tray  to  be  deposited  in  the 
pantry,  and  softly  closed  the  door  upon  it. 

The   passage  across   the  yard  was  slowly 


98        A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

but  successfully  accomplished  and  Angus 
was  safely  landed  in  the  Kents's  side  hall, 
and  left  to  his  fate.  He  was  quite  unnoticed 
by  the  servants  engaged  in  the  final  prepa- 
rations for  supper.  Supported  by  two  canes 
he  limped  eagerly  forward  in  the  direction 
of  the  music,  chuckling  to  himself  at  the 
prospect  of  his  reception;  in  a  moment  more, 
through  a  swinging  door,  he  emerged  upon 
the  festive  scene.  The  music,  the  laughter, 
the  flying  figures,  the  brilliant  colours,  the 
warm  air  heavy  with  the  fragrance  of  flowers 
went  to  his  head  like  wine.  He  paused  ir- 
resolutely— somewhere   in   this  merry  crowd 

was  Jane  and  he  must  find  her  and 

He  heard  a  clock  striking;  a  voice  near  by 
said  "now."  With  a  crash  the  music  ceased 
and  every  light  went  out. 


CHAPTER  VII 

The  Christmas  Ball  —  showing  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Strange  in  a  new  light,  and  discovering 
to  Jane  in  an  unexpected  manner  her 
knight  of  the  suit  case 

IT  had  been  an  unfortunate  conjunction 
of  events  that  prevented  Luke  Strange 
from  leaving  the  parish  house  until  eleven 
o'clock.  After  the  Christmas  celebration 
for  the  children  had  been  accomplished  the 
aged  rector  had  drawn  him  into  the  study  and 
insisted  upon  evoking  the  ghosts  of  dead  and 
gone  Christmases. 

The  Rev.  Luke  was  kindly  and  sympathetic 
but  it  was  with  a  sigh  of  relief  that  he  at  last 
stepped  briskly  out  into  the  starlit,  frosty 
night  and  started  for  the  Kent  ball.  What 
with  the  keen  nip  in  the  air,  and  a  certain  in- 
ward thrill  of  expectancy,  he  was  as  rosy 
as     a     Christmas    cherub,    when    the    door 

99 


loo      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

at  the  Kents's  opened  to  his  step  on  the 
veranda. 

Was  it  any  wonder  that  the  reverend 
gentleman  blinked,  as  with  floors  gleaming 
beneath  the  feet  of  the  couples  tripping  it 
in  hallway  and  drawing-room,  and  electric 
bulbs  shrouded  in  holly,  and  sconces  filled 
with  candles  gleaming  above,  the  whole  of 
the  festive  scene  burst  upon  him? 

One  almost  would  have  said  he  cut  a  neat 
pigeon  wing  to  the  music,  which  chanced  to 
be  the  "Merry  Widow,"  as  he  made  his  way 
in  to  the  wide  stairway  to  go  up  to  the 
dressing-room.  But  no,  it  could  not  have 
been  a  pas  seul  on  the  part  of  so  earnest  a 
wearer  of  the  cloth.  Rather  it  was  a  bit 
of  agile  execution  to  get  out  of  the  way  of 
a  plump  little  girl  in  rosy  gauze,  and  her 
tow-headed  partner,  both  of  whom,  or  so  it 
seemed,  but  yesterday  had  shouted  the 
golden  text  in  unison  from  the  front  bench  of 
his  infant  class. 

It  made  him  realize  how  well  along  in 
years  he  was  getting.     But  since  the  realiza- 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      loi 

tion  seemed  to  be  accepted  by  him  cheer- 
fully, it  was  evident  that  he  bore  no  grudge 
against  Time. 

Formality  had  ceased  early  in  the  evening 
and  when  Mr.  Strange  returned  down  stairs 
to  make  his  way  to  Mrs.  Mansfield  Kent, 
he  found  her  momentarily  alone,  comely  and 
content,  the  embodiment  of  a  pleasing  enjoy- 
ment of  the  moment  and  the   young  people. 

He  had  never  seen  her  looking  so  well,  or 
perhaps  quite  so  complete  a  woman  of  the 
world.  An  impressive  evening  gown  and 
jewels  no  doubt  tended  toward  both  results. 

She  smiled  in  welcome.  "Really,  Luke, 
you  look  like  a  nice  rosy  boy.  It  is  even 
reprehensible  in  you,  considering  your  claims 
to  years  and  calling.  It  evidently  is  a  case 
with  you  of  the  company  you  keep.  Those 
two  nice  boys " 

"Rosy  is  as  rosy  does,"  said  the  little 
gentleman,  stoutly.  "I  spent  a  vigorous 
portion  of  the  afternoon  hunting  roses  for 
Jane  and  Miss  Donovan.  Did  my  flowers 
come  for  you?" 


I02      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

"They     did,     Luke.     Mauve     orchids.     I 
have  only  just  laid  them  on  the  table  here. 
Extravagant   boy   that   you    are!     But   well 
chosen   they   are,    admirably   chosen,    Luke 
seemly,  dignified,  matronly " 

"Come  now,"  said  Mr.  Strange. 

"I  can't,"  rejoined  his  companion.  That 
she  was  enjoying  herself  and  also  him,  and 
that  largely,  was  evident.  "I  can't  come; 
Jane  is  coming  instead,  threading  her  way 
across  the  room  to  get  you.  She  is  pretty! 
See  her  smile,  and  her  pretty  air  to  Mr. 
West  as  she  passes  him.  She  is  coming  to 
get  you,  to  endeavour  to  give  you  a  good  time. 
She  announced  at  dinner  that  she  meant  to 
do  so.  It  is  base  in  me  to  tell  it.  Her  idea 
seemed  to  be  that  you  had  never  had  your 
chance  at  the  things  that  properly  constitute 
a  good  time.  *His  share  always  seems  to  be 
you  older  people.  Aunt  Marcia,'  was  the  way 
she  put  it.  With  this  for  a  cue,  unworthy 
woman  that  I  am  to  my  niece  to  tell  it,  I 
thought  that  you  might  do  more  with  your 
opportunity."     Her  laughter  was  contagious. 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      103 

"I  shall,  I  shall,  I  will,  I  thank  you," 
said  Mr.  Strange.  "But  even  so,  consider- 
ing what  my  years  actually  are,  I  can  but 
disport  myself  beseemingly,  even  with  Jane. 
With  your  permission,  my  dear  lady,  I  will 
help  myself  to  a  blossom  of  the  hue 
you  pronounced  middle-aged  and  staid, 
and  don  it  as  a  reminder  of  my  actual 
condition." 

Whereupon  the  doughty  little  man,  de- 
taching a  blossom  from  her  bouquet,  pulled 
it  through  the  buttonhole  of  his  high-cut 
coat,  just  in  time  to  take  Jane's  proffered 
hand  when  she  reached  them. 

That  young  lady  was  in  unusually  high 
spirits.  The  consciousness  of  a  very  becom- 
ing gown,  and  the  fact  that  she  was  the  most 
eagerly  sought  dancer  in  the  room  brought  an 
added  sparkle  to  her  eyes.  Besides  when  a 
girl  overhears  such  a  confession  as  she  had 
heard  that  morning,  it  can  but  cause  her  to 
regard  the  confessor  in  a  new  light. 

"  Such  roses !"  she  exclaimed  with  mounting 
colour.     "Nixie's  crazy  about  her  Killarneys, 


I04      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

but  you  must  have  known  the  kind  I  loved 
best." 

"I  know  the  kind  you  most  resemble," 
said  the  Rev.  Luke  with  a  bow. 

Jane  hastened  to  change  the  subject: 
"Isn't  it  too  bad  about  poor  Mr.  Carmich- 
aePs  not  being  able  to  get  over.''  Nixie  is  so 
superior  because  she  knows  him,  and  Aunt 
Marcia  and  I  don't.  I  was  so  hopeful  that 
he  could  come  that  I  have  saved  him  a  dance 
on  my  card." 

"Mayn't  I  claim  it?"  asked  Mr.  Strange. 

"But  you  don't  dance,"  said  Jane. 

"Neither  can  Mr.  Carmichael,"  put  in 
Mrs.   Kent,  biting  her  lip  to  hide  a  smile. 

"Who  said  I  didn't  dance .^"  demanded 
Mr.  Strange. 

"Why  —  why  do  you.^"  asked  Jane. 

"  If  anyone  were  willing  to  —  er  —  re- 
hearse a  bit  with  me,  I  might  perhaps." 

"Take  him  along,  do,  Jane.  There's 
nothing  for  you  young  things  like  being  to 
yourselves." 

Some   minutes   later  Jane    and   the   Rev. 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      105 

Luke  stood  on  the  landing  of  the  broad  stair- 
way which  was  made  inviting  by  a  deep 
window  seat,  a  wealth  of  palms,  and  a  digni- 
fied old  grandfather's  clock  which  announced 
that  it  was  eleven  minutes  to  twelve. 

Miss  Kent  with  her  draperies  caught  at 
either  side  and  outspread,  somewhat  after 
the  fashion  of  that  Miss  Clare  de  Vere  whose 
picture  not  long  since  had  held  the  attentive 
gaze  of  Mr.  Strange,  was  pausing  in  her 
exposition  of  the  terpsichorean  art,  to  make 
suitable  explanations. 

"Fll  show  you  the  barn  dance  while  we 
wait  for  Mr.  West  to  get  into  his  toggery. 
He  will  make  a  splendid  Santy,  don't  you 
think.'*  The  lights  will  go  out  at  a  second 
or  two  before  twelve,  and  he  is  to  slip  down 
and  take  his  place  in  front  of  the  library 
doorway  so  as  to  be  part  of  the  effect  when 
the  lights  flare  up. 

"But  now  the  barn  dance.  It  is  a  local 
variation  used  by  our  crowd,  and  we  are 
going  to  dance  it  right  after  supper,'  which 
follows  the  tree.     Oh,  yes  I  will  dance  with 


io6       A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

you!  If  you  can  catch  the  trick  of  the  steps 
you  may  cut  in  on  any  partner  I  have,  and 
claim  it.  Three  steps  to  the  front  and  spring 
forward  so."  Jane's  gold  slippers  twinkled 
as  she  did  so,  cleverly  enough.  "After 
which  you  snap  your  foot  up  and  land  back 
as  at  first.  We  call  the  first  spring  the  jet^ 
the  second  the  coupe." 

"Exactly,"  from  the  gentleman  regarding 
the  performance  earnestly  and  absorbedly. 
"To  be  sure.     The  jete  and  the  coupeV 

"And  that  done,"  tutored  this  would-be 
Genee,  looking  at  him  to  see  if  he  grasped  the 
idea,  as  she  suited  the  action  to  the  word,  "we 
glide  forward  —  so  —  we  call  it  the  glis- 
sade —  and  then  we  —  er  —  kick,  once " 

An  anguished  if  hoarsely  cautious  whisper 
from  above  interrupted  the  instructions.  It 
was  the  voice  of  the  pseudo  Santa  Claus, 
Mr.  West. 

"  Oh,  I  say,  somebody  come  up  here! 
I  can't  get  the  strings  to  this  confounded 
beard  untied  with  all  this  padding  and  para- 
phernalia on  me.    They  are  in  a  hard  knot." 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE       107 

Jane  and  the  minister  rushed  to  the  rescue, 
but  the  knot  proved  obdurate. 

"Cut  it,"  Jane  implored,  "time  is  almost 
up.  I'll  fix  it  somehow,  I'll  pin  it  on  with 
hair-pins." 

"Pin  it  on  to  what?  To  me?"  demanded 
the  victim. 

"To  the  wig,  where  the  two  meet.  There, 
that'll  hold!  Heavens!  it's  striking  twelve; 
there  go  the  lights!" 

Billy  sprang  down  the  steps,  and  Luke 
and  Jane  followed  cautiously,  making  their 
way  to  the  front  hall  where  Mrs.  Kent  had 
succeeded  in  corralling  the  laughing  crowd. 

"If  his  whiskers  will  only  stay  on!" 
whispered  Jane  laughingly  as  she  turned  an 
expectant  face  toward  the  rear  door. 

At  that  moment  the  lights  flashed  up,  and 
she  beheld,  standing  before  a  resplendent  tree, 
in  the  center  of  the  arch,  with  "Merry  Christ- 
mas" in  letters  of  fire  over  his  head,  not  the 
expected  Santa  Claus,  but  her  unknown 
Knight  of  the  Suit  Case! 


CHAPTER  VIII 

The  Christmas  Ball  continued.  Mr.  Car- 
michael  finds  himself  at  a  disadvantage, 
and  seeks  an  opportunity  to  explain 

FOR  one  ghastly  moment  Mr.  Angus  Car- 
michael  stared  into  the  strange  faces 
crowding  the  hall  and  doorways.  They  were 
all  turned  toward  him,  and  all  expressed  un- 
bounded astonishment. 

Then,  as  he  grasped  the  significance  of 
the  hour,  the  lights,  and  the  tree,  and  caught 
a  glimpse  of  Billy  West's  amazed  countenance 
in  its  entanglement  of  white  whiskers,  he 
rose  to  the  occasion  and  understood. 

"Well!"  he  said.  "I  didn't  expect  all 
this!  I've  gotten  into  the  wrong  box,  evi- 
dently. Come  here,  Billy  West,  and  get  on 
your  job." 

There  was  a  moment's  silence,  then  a 
hubbub    of   exclamations,    in    the    midst   of 

io8 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      109 

which  Luke  Strange,  seconded  by  an  instantly 
comprehending  hostess,  captured  his  truant 
guest  and  guided  him  safely  to  a  sheltered 
nook  in  the  hallway  where  he  established 
him  in  a  large  easy  chair,  with  his  foot  on  a 
rest  before  him. 

And  there,  promptly,  Carmichael  realized 
that  his  arrival  had  been  in  every  way  inop- 
portune. 

Notwithstanding  the  temporary  interrup- 
tion of  the  programme,  it  was  the  tree,  a-glitter 
and  ablaze  that  was  the  obvious  centre  of 
attraction;  and  Angus,  anchored  in  his  alcove, 
and  completely  out  of  the  current,  with  his 
legs  trembling  from  his  recent  exertion, 
himself,  also,  a  trifle  embarrassed  in  the 
presence  of  so  many  strangers,  acknowledged 
that  he  had  made  a  mistake  in  coming  at  all. 

Mrs.  Mansfield  Kent,  to  be  sure,  had  been 
all  gracious  solicitude,  and  Nixie  Donovan 
had  hovered  about  him  with  a  delightful 
proprietary  air,  but  Jane  Kent  had  not  come 
near  him. 

From  where   he  sat  he   could   watch   the 


no      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

dismantling  of  the  tree,  about  which  Nixie 
was  darting  and  fluttering  like  a  red-headed 
woodpecker.  There  was  something  irritat- 
ing in  the  way  the  Rev.  Luke  Strange  pranced 
about,  distributing  ribbon-tied  packages, 
while  it  was  positively  wrath  arousing  to 
see  Billy  West,  whose  genial  aplomb  it  would 
be  impossible  to  exaggerate,  luxuriating  in 
the  role  of  Santa  Claus. 

And  Jane.^  Where  was  Jane.?  Quietly 
busy  there  with  the  others,  not  arch  and 
fluttering  as  he  always  thought  of  her,  but 
like  a  butterfly  whose  wings  are  tired  and  a 
bit  drooping,  and  folded.  Nor  did  Jane  ever 
once  look  his  way. 

Then  he,  gloomily  regarding  the  scene 
from  the  hallway  where  he  sat  with  his 
footstool  and  his  wrath,  and  feeling  himself 
to  be  forsaken,  and  worse,  de  trop,  saw  another 
thing.  He  saw  Billy  West  pick  up  a  package 
and  heard  him  unmistakably  repeat  the  name 
of  Carmichael,  with  even  a  nod  toward  him- 
self as  he  passed  it  to  that  prancing  distributer. 
Strange.     Whereupon  Nixie  Donovan,   after 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      iii 

exchanging  a  quick  and  meaning  glance  with 
Heels  and  Jane  Kent,  snatched  it  from  the 
hands  of  Mr.  Strange  and  melted  away  with  it 
into  the  crowd. 

But  he  forgave  her  the  apparent  appro- 
priation of  his  property,  when  at  last  he  saw 
her    coming    toward    him    with    Jane    Kent. 

"It's  a  case  of  Mahomet  and  the  Moun- 
tain," she  was  saying  with  a  laugh.     "Mr. 

Carmichael  let  me  introduce  you  to "  then 

she  paused.  An  unmistakable  flash  of  recog- 
nition had  passed  between  her  companions. 

"I  believe  you  two  have  been  talking  over 
the  telephone,  or  flirting  at  the  windows!" 
she  accused,  then  caught  herself  up  contritely. 
"Oh  I  beg  your  pardon,  Mr.  Carmichael, 
I  am  awfully  thoughtless.  /  know  and 
Jane  knows,  and  we  are  awfully  sorry.  Jane 
shall  stay  and  eat  supper  with  you,  since  I 
can't.  Oh,  yes  you  will,  Jane.  I  know  you 
told  Mr.  West  you  weren't  going  to  make  an 
engagement  for  supper,  but  this  is  difi"erent, 
isn't  it  Mr.  Carmichael.?"  And  with  a  flutter 
of  skirts  she  was  gone,  leaving  Angus  and 


112      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

Jane  with  the  little  supper-table  and  an 
uncomfortable  silence  between  them. 

Jane  was  turning  things  over  in  her  mind. 
Since  this  guest  of  Mr.  Strange's  and  her 
Knight  of  the  Suit  Case  were  one  and  the 
same,  then  it  naturally  followed  that  her 
delightful  partner  in  that  memorable  episode 
was  none  other  than  he  of  the  blighted  past 
and  the  inconsolable  affections  told  of  by  Mr. 
West.  Of  course  she  felt  very  sorry  for  him, 
but  he  needn't  have  put  up  such  an  elaborate 
bluif  on  that  hilarious  trip  to  Summit.  It 
would  be  difficult  now  to  get  the  acquaint- 
ance back  to  the  proper  dignified  footing, 
especially  when  she  remembered  how  he 
had  carried  her  slippers  and  dressing  sacque 
in  his  pockets! 

She  decided  to  refer  casually  to  their  former 
meeting,  express  surprise  at  his  unexpected 
acquaintance  with  Mr.  Strange,  and  from 
this  time  on  be  very,  very  sorry  for  him. 

And  this  was  why  the  unsuspecting  Angus 
could  get  no  hold  on  the  situation  at  all. 
Gone  was  the  come   and  go  of  Miss  Jane 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      113 

Kent's  dimples,  and  the  devil  take  him  if 
there  was  the  least  trace  or  hint  of  that  arch- 
ness visible  which  ten  minutes  since  she  had 
been  indiscriminately  lavishing  on  West  and 
Strange.  Indeed  her  manner  was  that  of  a 
nice    sister,    kindly,    forbearing,    concerned. 

Even  the  star  sapphire  on  her  white  hand 
which  he  had  come  to  think  and  dream  of  in 
connection  with  her,  seemed  waned  in  its 
fire  to  a  chastened  luminary. 

She  was  the  embodiment  of  demureness 
as  she  got  up,  came  around  and  picked  up  his 
napkin  which  he  did  not  know  he  had  dropped. 

"Oh!  I  say,  this  is  too  much,"  protested 
Angus,  but  she  was  insistent. 

"Of  course  I  will,"  she  said  soothingly. 
"It  was  awfully  good  of  you  to  come  over 
to-night.  We  all  realize  how  hard  it  must  be 
for  you  at  a  time  like  Christmas." 

"Oh  it  wasn't  so  slippery,"  said  Angus, 
"and  I  was  coming  in  on  the  home  run  beauti- 
fully when  the  lights  went  out." 

"I  don't  mean  that,"  said  Jane,  determined 
to   establish   things   on    a    new   footing.     "I 


114      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

mean  all  this  jollity  and  festivity.  It's 
awfully  brave  in  you.  We  all  admire  you 
for  the  effort." 

"How  so.^"  from  the  protesting  object  of 
so  much  pity.  "It's  the  other  thing  / 
couldn't  stand,  being  over  there  by  myself 
when  the  bunch  was  over  here,  with  the  music 
playing  all  my  favourite  waltzes,  and  another 
fellow  beating  my  time.  " 

She  looked  at  him  sweetly,  with  somewhat 
the  tolerant  air  of  one  humouring  a  person 
who  is  ill  by  allowing  him  to  talk  against 
time.  Then  she  seemed  to  think  she  must 
take  care  of  him  some  more. 

"Hadn't  you  better  let  me  or  the  waiter 
cut  that  up  for  you,  Mr.  Carmichael.?  Your 
pcLt6,  I  mean?" 

"Say,  you  know,"  expostulated  Mr.  Car- 
michael,  "it  isn't  my  arms,  they  are  not  out 
of  it,  it's  my  knee.  And  —  er  —  say,  speak- 
ing of  knees,"  —  it  was  far-fetched  and  un- 
worthy of  him,  but  he  had  to  get  in  somehow 
—  "would  you  say  that  it  was  a  fore-shadowing 
of  things  to  be,  that  that  accident  on  the  way 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE       115 

down  here  to  Kentucky  should  have  put  me 
on  my  knees  —  " 

For  the  first  time  Miss  Kent  seemed  human: 
her  colour  rose  a  trifle  and  a  sparkle  came 
in  her  eyes.  She  quite  forgot,  too,  to  be 
sorry  for  him. 

"Put  you  on  your  knees  to  Miss  Donovan, 
you  mean?"  she  asked  sweetly. 

"Now  I'll  venture  Bill  gave  you  that," 
said  the  disgusted  Angus.  "As  if  I  had  to 
come  all  the  way  to  Kentucky  to  pursue  a 
girl  who  lived  in  Jersey.  If  it's  not  patent 
what  I    came  down  here  for  —  why " 

"Really,"  said  Jane  Kent,  "I'd  drop  that 
if  I  were  you.  It  isn't  necessary  with  every 
girl,  especially  when  she  knows  the  truth  and 
is  quite  ready  to    sympathize." 

"Exactly,"  said  Carmichael  enthusias- 
tically, "if  I  could  feel  sure  that  you  do  know 
the  truth,  that  for  me  there  is,  ever  has  been, 
and  for  all  time  ever  will  be  but  one " 

"Of  course,  of  course,  dear  Mr.  Carmichael," 
agreed  Jane  soothingly,  "and  I  can't  tell 
you  how  much  I  admire  you  for  it.     I  think 


ii6      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

constancy  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  things 
in  the  world.  That's  why  I  hate  to  see  you 
jollying  a  girl,  just  because  she  wants  to  be 
your  good  friend." 

"It's  not  jollying,"  returned  Angus,  indig- 
nantly. "Do  you  think  it's  hot  air  when  I 
tell  you  that  I  have  been  fairly  living  on 
those  roses  and  little  unsigned  notes  that 
have  come  to  me  every  day?" 

"What  notes?"  asked  Jane. 

He  looked  at  her  reproachfully;  then  delib- 
erately, even  dramatically,  drew  forth  a  card 
from  his  vest  pocket.  The  pencilled  words 
upon  it  were  blotted  and  blurred. 

"Your  tears,  or  hers?"  inquired  Jane  after 
a  glance  at  the  card. 

His  gaze  conveyed  more  reproach.  "The 
roses  were  kinder  than  you,  for  it  is  their 
tears,  if  you  are  going  to  have  tears.  Don't 
tell  me  that  the  writer  of  those  words  did  not 
mean  them?" 

"I  have  no  doubt  but  she  did,"  said  Miss 
Kent,  rising.  "The  writing  chances  to  be 
that  of  Miss  Donovan.     I  will  manage  that 


"Your  tears,    or   hers?''''    inquired  Jane   after  a 
glance  at  the  card 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      117 

she  shall  drop  over  here  again  presently,  and 
you  can  ask  her." 

She  was  gone,  and  Angus  was  left,  wonder- 
ing bitterly  why  he  had  ever  been  born.  He 
gazed  beyond  the  palms  and  lights  and  flitting 
figures  with  eyes  from  which  all  joy  had  fled. 

Then  a  determination  seized  him.  He  had 
to  get  the  straight  of  the  tangle,  or  he  would 
know  the  reason  why.  Drawing  forth  the 
fateful  card  with  its  blurred  message  of 
cheer,  and  turning  it  over,  he  wrote  upon  its 
reverse  side  with  the  little  pencil  on  its  cord 
which  had  become  detached  from  Jane's 
dancing  card, 

"Won't  you  give  me  an  opportunity  to  explain? 

"A.  C." 

"Methinks  I've  seen  it  before,"  cried  a 
cheery  voice  at  his  elbow  as  Nixie  Donovan 
held  out  her  hand  for  the  small  gray  missive. 
"You  see  I  thought  it  was  my  duty  to  cheer 
a  suffering  fellow  traveller  —  I'll  take  it, 
thank  you.  Jane  said  you  had  a  message 
for  me.  *  Won't  you  give  me  an  opportunity 
to '  Certainly  I  will.    I  can't  stop  now 


ii8      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

though,  dear  boy.  We  all  know  more  than  you 
fancy  we  do,  and  we  consider  you  the  finest 
ever  to  face  it  so  pluckily.  I'll  be  back  to 
hear  all  about  it.  They  are  getting  together 
for  the  barn  dance  now,  and  I  have  promised 
it  to  Mr.  West.     Jane  is  to  lead  off " 

And  Nixie  Donovan  lissome  and  flashing, 
akin  to  the  Irish  fairies,  red  head  and  all, 
was  gone  to  take  her  place  in  the  line  of 
couples  in  the  drawing  room. 

Jane  was  to  lead,  but  with  whom? 

Mrs.  Mansfield  Kent,  who  at  this  moment 
came  out  and  took  her  place  beside  her  guest, 
did  not  know. 

But  as  events  proved,  Mr.  Strange  did. 
Amid  the  shouts  and  the  plaudits  of  the 
company,  he  calmly  put  aside  the  tow-headed 
young  gentleman,  who  but  yesterday  had 
shouted  the  golden  text  from  the  front  bench 
of  the  infant  class. 

"Jet^,  coupe,  glissade,  kick,"  said  Mr. 
Strange  firmly,  "Miss  Kent  irrevocably  prom- 
ised herself  to  me,  Johnny  Keat." 

And   with   the   neatest  bow  possible,   the 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      119 

Rev.  Luke,  to  some  purpose  the  model  little 
boy  pupil  at  dancing  school  in  his  day, 
gallantly  lifted  his  partner's  hand,  j^te-d 
coupe-d,  and  neatly  glissaded  off,  the  shout- 
ing line  in  his  train,  following. 

The  front  door  had  closed  on  the  last 
guest  and  Nixie  and  Jane  and  Billy  had  come 
back  to  join  Mrs.  Kent  and  Angus  and  Luke 
Strange  in  the  hall. 

"Jane,"  said  Mrs.  Kent,  "I  call  this  shabby. 
Here  is  Mr.  Carmichael's  gift  from  the  tree 
which  I  have  found,  undelivered  and  for- 
gotten behind  this  lamp." 

There  was  a  moment  of  palpable  silence, 
followed  by  hurried  vivacity  and  irrelevant 
enthusiasm  from  three  sources. 

"Really,  Aunt  Marcia,  did  you  ever  see 
people  have  a  better  time?" 

"Simply  grand,"  from  Nixie.  "Honestly 
Mrs.  Kent  it  was  a  perfectly  be-yew-ti-ful 
party!" 

"Ripping,"  added  Billy. 

Mrs.  Kent  looked  from  one  to  the  other 
with    some    amiable    indignation.     "It   only 


I20      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

remains  for  you,  Luke,"  she  said,  "to  talk 
about  the  weather." 

"Don't  you  worry,  Mrs.  Kent,"  broke 
in  Angus,  "they  haven't  slipped  my  trolley. 
What  about  the  present?" 

"It  —  it  didn't  suit,"  said  Nixie.  "It  was 
all  my  fault.  I  selected  it  before  I  knew,  and 
then  I  forgot  to  change  it  after  we  heard " 

"Heard  what.^"'  demanded  Angus. 

Everyone  paused  in  embarrassment,  then 
Jane  stepped  firmly  into  the  breach. 

"Heard  about  your  trouble.  It  is  a  little 
ash-tray,  representing  Cupid  hammering  away 
at  a  broken  heart.  Of  course  when  Mr. 
West  told  us  of  your  terrible  loss " 

Angus  shot  a  glance  of  quick  suspicion  at 
Heels  who  had  buried  his  face  in  a  cushion, 
and  was  evidently  undergoing  a  convulsion. 

"What  did  I  lose.?"  asked  Angus. 

"I  am  afraid  we  have  all  been  dreadfully 
tactless,"  said  Mrs.  Kent.  "You  evidently 
didn't  wish  it  known,  but  Mr.  West  spoke 
to  us  in  the  beginning  about  the  sad  history 
of  your  young  wife." 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      121 

Angus  glanced  at  the  concerned  faces  about 
him,  then  at  the  prostrate  Heels  in  the  back- 
ground. 

"The  saddest  page  in  my  history  spells 
Billy  West,"  he  said,  rising  with  the  aid  of 
his  canes  and  some  spirit.  "I'll  give  him 
just  five  golden  moments  to  explain  matters, 
or  I'll  gently  but  firmly  remove  him  from  the 
face  of  the  earth!" 

When  explanations,  broken  by  shrieks 
of  merriment,  were  over,  and  good  nights 
were  being  said,  Angus  found  the  opportunity 
he  yearned  for. 

"Miss  Jane,"  he  begged  as  he  held  to  the 
hand  she  had  given  him  for  parting,  "it  was 
crazy  of  me,  I  know,  to  think  you  had  guessed 
who  it  was  next  door;  but  when  the  flowers 
came  I  wanted  them  so  to  be  from  you — I " 

"It's  half  past  three,"  cried  Mrs.  Mansfield 
Kent;  "you  youngsters  shall  not  stay  up 
another  moment.  Off  to  bed,  every  one  of  you." 

But  Angus  lingered:  "Just  a  second,  please. 
Miss  Jane.  Promise  me,  won't  you  ^  Give 
me  one  more  chance  to  explain?" 


CHAPTER  IX 

Relates  a  conversation  between  Nixie  and 
Jane,  in  the  course  of  which  they  agree 
to  unite  forces,  and  afford  Mr.  Car- 
michael   the    opportunity    he   desires 

AT  ten  o'clock  the  next  morning,  Nixie, 
■^  ^  in  flowing  flowery  draperies,  danced 
into  the  room  where  Jane  sat  before  her 
dressing  table,  a  braid  of  chestnut  hair  falling 
over  each  shoulder. 

"Hello,  Golden  Brownie,"  said  Nixie,  waft- 
ing her  a  kiss  blown  from  her  finger  tips. 
"No,  not  a  brownie  either  but  a  Marguerite 
in  a  kimono.  Are  these  the  jewels  Faust  has 
sent?" 

A  deep  square  purple  box  filled  with  violets, 
its  lid  and  wrappings  beside  it,  stood  upon 
the  dressing  table.  Jane  coloured,  then  be- 
cause she  had  coloured,  she  pushed  them 
toward  Nixie. 

xaa 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE       123 

"*Mr.  Angus  Carmichael, '"  read  that 
person.  "'In  grateful  acknowledgment  of 
the  opportunity  to  explain.'  Well,  now, 
I  like  that!  Is  this  appealingly  handsome 
young  person  less  naively  honest  and  open 
than  he  seems?  I  don't  know  what  it  is  all 
about  in  your  case,  and  I  don't  ask  to.  Only, 
when  the  two  girls  he  is  baiting  run  in  couple, 
he  ought  to  vary  the  bait.  He  seems  to  re- 
vel in  opportunities  to  explain.    Look  at  this." 

It  was  a  blurred  and  blotted  card  she  held 
up,  with  a  message  written  on  its  other  side. 
Jane  knew  its  one  face  and  now  she  read  the 
other. 

"He  delivered  it  himself  to  me  out  of  his 
own  hands,  the  writing  hot  from  the  making," 
said  Miss  Donovan,  succinctly. 

It  would  seem  as  if  the  light  and  colour 
faded  a  bit  from  Jane's  face  that  had  looked 
so  youthfully  buoyant  across  those  violets. 
Did  Jane  care.'' 

On  the  contrary  it  was  as  powder  to  a 
youthful  war  colt  in  the  case  of  Miss  Donovan. 
"He's  flirting  hard  with  the  two  of  us,  Jane. 


124       A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

Of  course  we  got  to  be  pretty  good  friends 
on  the  trip  down,  and  after  his  sprain  I  did 
waive  ceremony  and  take  care  of  him. 
Still,  since  I'm  beginning  to  understand 
something  of  the  gentleman  —  Jane,  tell 
me  or  not,  as  you  choose,  —  was  not  Mr. 
Angus  Carmichael  holding  your  hand  last 
night  at  parting,  and  making  incipiently 
tender  speeches  to  you,  with  that  palm  for  a 
chaperon  ?" 

There  was  colour  enough  in  Jane's  counte- 
nance now.  She  was  not  the  niece  of  that 
doughty  old  salt  and  also  pepper-box,  the 
Admiral,  for  nothing.  -  Had  not  Mr.  Carmi- 
chael held  her  hand.?  Had  he  not  made  in- 
cipiently tender  speeches.?  And  worse,  had 
not  she  on  the  only  two  occasions  she  had  had 
the  pleasure  of  this  young  gentleman's  society, 
too  easily  succumbed  to  a  winning  manner, 
and  a  seemingly  honest  rush  of  impetuous 
enthusiasm? 

"Exactly.  I  see  that  he  did,"  said  the 
astute  Miss  Donovan.  "Now  I  must  say  I 
deserve  all  I  get,  always,  but  in  this  case  you 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      125 

don't.  You  have  not  done  one  thing,  but  be 
Jane  Kent,  to  lead  him  on.  And  you  are  not 
responsible  for  that  much  of  it.  He  is  play- 
ing the  game  with  both  of  us,  our  young 
friend  is." 

Jane  agreed.  "I  did  think  he  was  flirting 
when  I  thought  he  was  married." 

"Flirting!  Why  he's  a  specialist.  I  won- 
der if  it  was  a  toss  up  as  to  which  of  us  should 
get  the  violets.'*  Fancy  my  Lord  Hamlet 
Carmichael  cogitating,  *To  Jane,  or  not  to 
Jane.?'" 

The  thought  was  palpably  distasteful  to 
the  lady  of  the  violets.  She  pushed  them 
away,  and  flinging  her  loosened  braids  back, 
began  to  brush  their  glorious  abundance 
vigorously. 

"Let's  get  even  with  him  by  ignoring  him," 
she  said.  "Let's  agree  to  leave  him  entirely 
and  serenely  alone." 

"Oh,  no!"  Nixie  protested  from  her  position 
on  the  couch,  her  slippered  feet  tucked  up 
under  her,  Turkish  fashion.  "Where  would 
our  fun  come  in  then.?    My  idea  of  the  game 


126      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

is  worth  two  of  that  —  only  I'm  afraid  you'll 
never  agree  to  it,  Jane;  your  heart's  too  kind; 
you'll  never  put  it  through.  You  will? 
You  promise?  Very  well,  then  —  just  to 
flirt  with  him  if  he's  so  anxious;  follow  any 
lead  he  makes  us;  bring  him  to  the  point  of 
actually  proposing  to  both  of  us  before  he 
gets  away  from  here,  and  both  of  us  accept 
him,  and  then  see  what  the  young  man  will 
do!  When  I  think  of  all  the  things  he  said 
on  the  train,  I  have  no  earthly  compunctions!" 

Perhaps  it  was  the  thought  of  these  speeches 
to  Miss  Donovan  that  removed  any  com- 
punction on  the  part  of  Jane  also. 

"What's  the  idea  for  the  start?"  she  asked 
briefly,  as  she  coiled  her  hair. 

"This  is  Christmas  Day,"  said  Nixie. 
"They  leave  here  for  the  East  on  the  second. 
We  haven't  too  much  time  to  get  busy.  We 
are  going  over  there  for  mid-day  dinner 
to-day.  Of  course  he  won't  be  going  to  the 
Darwins's  cotillion  to-night,  as  he  can't  dance, 
and  we  will.  But  he  will  be  going  to  some 
of  the  afternoon  teas  and  things.     We  will 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      127 

be  meeting  him  everywhere.  Didn't  Mr. 
Strange  say  something  about  having  us  all 
at  the  parish  house?  I'll  tell  you  it  shall  be 
turn  about.  I'll  give  you  to-day.  You  let 
me  have  to-morrow.  Cheer  up,  Jane,  my 
child,  this  is  sport  we  are  planning,  not  pen- 
ance as  your  looks  imply." 

"Of  course,"  said  Jane.  But  her  way  of 
saying  it  betrayed  an  effort,  and  lacked 
gusto.  She  could  not  believe  it  of  this  nice 
Angus.  She  hated  to  believe  it.  And  yet 
—  on  the  dresser  before  her  lay  two  cards, 
and  Jane  straightened.  Certainly  they  would 
join  forces  in  affording  Mr.  Carmichael  an 
opportunity  to  explain. 


CHAPTER  X 

In  which  the  entanglement  of  Mr.  Carmichael 
progresses,  and  Miss  Donovan  scores 
a  point 

ONE  Arachne  is  usually  quite  enough  to 
entangle  any  unsuspecting  gentleman 
fly,  and  with  two  spinning  webs  for  his 
destruction  poor  Angus  was  doomed. 

Jane  had  apparently,  without  effort,  already 
ensnared  other  victims  in  the  persons  of  Rev. 
Mr.  Strange  and  Mr.  William  West,  and. 
now  while  she  seemed  systematically  to  beat 
a  retreat  from  any  advance  on  the  part  of 
Mr.  Carmichael,  she  lost  no  opportunity  of 
throwing  smiles  and  favours  in  the  direction 
of  the  other  two. 

At  the  Strange  dinner  on  Christmas  Day, 
Carmichael  found  that  his  amazing  lady  had 
changed  over  night.  She  thanked  him  for 
his  flowers  with  such  sweet  abstraction,  that 

138 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE       129 

he  felt  as  if  he  had  been  talking  into  a  tele- 
phone when  there  was  no  one  at  the  other 
end. 

At  table  she  chose  a  seat  next  to  Mr. 
Strange,  and  afterward  retired  to  a  corner 
with   Billy   West   for   a   private   tete-a-tete. 

It  was  then  that  the  baffled  Carmichael 
was  roused  to  satire.  It  was  a  weapon  with 
which  he  was  not  skilled,  but  he  was  desperate. 
As  Jane  swept  past  him  in  her  newest  empire 
gown  the  becomingness  of  which  was  evidently 
appreciated  by  her  partner,  Angus  turned  to 
Mrs.  Mansfield  Kent. 

"Westward  the  course  of  empire  takes  its 
way,"  he  observed  bitterly. 

That  lady  elected  to  twist  his  meaning  into 
a  matter  of  fashions :  "It  does  look  strange  at 
the  start,"  she  was  saying,  when  Carmichael 
who  had  been  half  listening,  interrupted: 

"Luke  Strange  at  the  start!  He's  in  at 
the  finish,  too.  Look  there  now  will  you, 
she's  got  them  both !" 

Later  in  the  day  he  succeeded  in  getting 
a  few  minutes  with  Jane  alone.     It  was  on 


130      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

the  pretence  of  asking  her  about  the  family 
portraits  in  the  library,  and  since  he  had 
her  there  she  refused  to  talk  about  any- 
thing else,  but  stood,  facing  the  wall, 
delivering  information  like  a  wholly  pre- 
occupied cicerone. 

"Up  to  this  generation,"  she  said,  "there 
have  always  been  two  sons  in  the  family,  one 
a  clergyman  and  one  a  distiller." 

"So  that's  why  they  hang  In  pairs,"  Angus 
said.  "One  sheep  and  one  goat.  Talk 
about  being  fixed  at  Court!" 

"Don't  you  think  it  rather  explains  Mr. 
Strange,  too?"  Jane  asked.  "You  see,  he's 
the  only  one  of  his  generation  and  he  has  to 
be  all  of  it.  Really  he's  awfully  jolly,  you 
know.  Wasn't  he  dear  in  the  barn  dance 
last  night.?" 

Angus  with  difficulty  curbed  his  irritation. 
He  longed  to  deride  the  Rev.  Luke,  to  give 
vent  to  his  spleen  by  withering  comments  on 
his  infantile  performance.  But  he  liked 
Strange,  and  loyalty  silenced  him. 

"Oh  His   Chubbs   is   all  right,"   he    said, 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      131 

gloomily.  "He  is  the  real  stuff  and  —  the 
girl   that  gets   him  will   be  mighty  lucky." 

"Do  you  think  so?"  she  asked  demurely, 
looking  him  straight  in  the  eyes;  then  they 
both  laughed,  either  without  knowing  why. 

"Awfully  absorbed  in  the  portraits,"  cried 
Nixie  popping  her  head  in  at  the  door.  "We 
are  going,  Jane,  Mrs.  Kent  says  to  hurry  — 
that  visitors  have  come." 

From  this  time  on  Angus  Carmichael  limped 
over  to  the  Kents's  house  at  all  hours,  and 
when  he  could  not  get  Jane,  Nixie  saw  to  it 
that  he  got  Nixie. 

If  the  cool  aloofness  of  Jane's  gold-flecked 
eyes  baffled  him,  the  riot  of  wayward,  dancing 
flames  in  Nixie's  beckoned  him  on.  And  Angus 
Carmichael  was  not  a  person  to  slight  life  in  any 
direction.  A  gay  "come  hither"  in  dancing 
eyes  found  a  prompt  "go  after"  in  his  own. 

Being  in  ignorance  of  the  every-other-day 
arrangement,  Angus  was  constantly  compli- 
cating matters  by  following  the  wrong  lead, 
and  his  emotions  suffered  a  severe  strain 
under  this  kaleidoscopic  existence. 


132      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

But  ignorance  of  the  law  does  not  secure 
exemption  from  the  penalty,  as  was  brought 
home  to  him  after  having  devoted  himself 
exclusively  to  Jane  Kent  on  an  evening  which 
the  calender  marked  as  Nixie's. 

The  next  morning  he  sat,  hat  and  cane  in 
hand,  in  the  bay  window  at  the  Stranges's 
wondering  how  early  a  fellow  might  venture 
to  call  on  two  young  ladies  whose  sleeping 
hours  were  being  curtailed  at  the  wrong  end. 
The  narrow  cross-section  of  the  drawing  room 
which  caught  his  eye  as  he  looked  over  idly, 
was  untenanted,  and  would  probably  be  so 
for  another  hour,  he  reflected  gloomily. 
Then  he  straightened  up,  suddenly  at  peace 
with  life  once  more,  for  Miss  Nixie  Donovan, 
in  a  dainty  blue  morning  dress  had  crossed 
his  line  of  vision. 

In  a  moment  she  reappeared,  this  time 
pausing  and  inspecting  a  paper  which  she 
held  in  her  hand.  The  contents  were  evi- 
dently amusing  for  she  smiled,  then  shook  her 
head. 

The  important  fact  being  established  that 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE       133 

somebody  was   up,   Angus   lost   no   time  in 
presenting  himself. 

When  the  servant  ushered  him  into  the 
drawing-room  it  was  apparently  empty,  but 
Angus  perceived  a  gleam  of  gold  in  the  corner, 
and  discovered  Nixie's  bent  head,  poring 
over  a  slip  of  paper  which  lay  on  a  table 
before  her. 

Now  the  document  that  Nixie  was  study- 
ing so  assiduously  bore  in  her  own  chirog- 
raphy  the  following  schedule: 

Dec.  25th. 
Jane  Kent 
Nixie  Donovan 
Plaintiffs, 
vs. 
Angus  Carmichael 
Defendant. 
December  25  —  Jane's  Day 
"  26  —  Nixie's  Day 

"  27  —  Jane's  Day 

"  28  —  Nixie's  Day  (Jane  poached). 

"  29  —  Jane's  Day  (Nixie  intends  to 

poach  if  A.  C.  is  poachable.     Query,  how.?) 


134      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

So  absorbed  was  Nixie  in  her  missive  that 
it  was  not  until  Carmichael  stood  before  her 
that  she  was  conscious  of  his  presence.  With 
a  start  and  gasp  she  crushed  the  paper  in  her 
hand  and  dropped  her  head  upon  it,  shaking 
with  laughter. 

Angus  stopped  as  if  flagged  by  a  red  danger 
signal. 

"Why  Miss  Nixie,"  he  said  impetuously, 
mistaking  her  mirth  for  grief,  "what's  the 
trouble.?     Bad  news.'"' 

The  genuine  solicitude  of  Angus's  tone  gave 
Nixie  an  Inspiration.  She  would  create  a 
trouble  for  herself,  and  by  so  doing  gain  his 
sympathy.  If  only  the  butler  would  forget 
to  announce  his  arrival!  Or  if  Jane  could 
not  get  her  gown  hooked  in  time  to  come 
down! 

In  the  meanwhile  Nixie's  shoulders  con- 
tinued to  heave,  while  she  searched  in  vain 
among  her  many  blessings  to  find  one  that 
might  be  temporarily  converted  Into  a 
grief. 

"You  can  tell  me,  you  know,"  Angus  was 


A  UOMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      135 

whispering  consolingly,  "I'm  a  regular  oyster. 
Maybe  I  can  help  you  out  some  way." 

Nixie  shook  her  head. 

"Was  it  bad  news?"  he  persisted,  "some- 
thing wrong  at  home.''  Oh!  I  beg  your 
pardon,  perhaps  you'd  rather  not  tell  me." 

He  started  to  beat  a  retreat,  but  she 
stretched  forth  a  detaining  hand. 

"Don't  go,  please,"  she  said  in  an  instant 
panic,  "I'll  tell  you  in  a  minute.  I  —  I  — 
don't  know  how  to  begin." 

Angus  waited,  while  she  succeeded  in 
working  herself  up  to  the  proper  tragic 
mood. 

"You  see  it's  my  father,"  she  said  at  last, 
improvising  rapidly.  "How  would  you  feel  if 
your  father  were  going  to  be  married  to  a 
perfectly  horrid  actress,  young,  beautiful 
and  —  perfectly  horrid." 

"Miss  Clare  de  Vere!"  said  Angus  with 
conviction. 

"I  don't  know  her  name,"  said  Nixie;  "but 
she's  trying  to  marry  my  darling  old  dad. 
I  don't  care  if  they  do  say  he's  a  man  of  iron. 


136      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

I  know  how  soft  he  is.  Why  he  can't  even 
fasten  his  own  cuff  buttons,  and  I  always  have 
to  fix  his  ties.  And  now  just  because  IVe 
come  away  and  left  him  for  a  little  while, 
somebody  else  has  taken  my  place!" 

Again  her  feelings  overcame  her,  and  Angus 
felt  called  upon  to  administer  comforting 
pats  to  the  little  hand  that  lay  in  his. 

"If  he  marries  her  I  shall  kill  myself," 
announced  Nixie,  passionately,  trying  to 
recall  the  expression  worn  by  "Lady  Mac- 
beth." 

"No  you  won't,"  said  Angus  firmly,  "you 
mustn't  get  any  such  notion  as  that  into 
your  little  head." 

"But  I  will,  I  will!"  she  cried,  her  hands 
clinched.  "Nobody  cares  what  becomes  of 
me!    There  isn't  a  soul  in  the  world  that 


cares." 


"Why  there  is,"  said  Angus,  an  easy  vic- 
tim.    "You  know  I'd  care  a  lot." 

"Would  you,  honest?"  asked  Nixie,  "and 
—  and  would  you  help  me  sometime  if  I 
needed  you  dreadfully?" 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      137 

"Well  rather,"  said  Angus,  emphatically. 
"You  just  call  on  me  and  I'll  come." 

"You  do  care  then!"  said  Nixie,  "and  there 
isn't  anything  else  in  the  wide  world  that 
matters!"  and  grasping  his  hands  across  the 
little  lacquer  table  she  smiled  at  him  with 
such  sudden  radiance  that  he  gasped  for 
breath. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  said  a  cool  voice 
from  the  door-way,  as  Jane  paused  with  one 
hand  on  the  curtain,  ready  for  flight,  "I  —  I 
—  thought " 

"  It's  all  right,  Jane,"  said  Nixie,  scrambling 
to  her  feet.  "Mr.  Carmichael  did  call  for 
you.  I  am  just  keeping  up  his  spirits  while 
he  waits,"  and  giving  her  chum  one  mis- 
chievous glance  between  her  fingers,  she 
fled  precipitately. 

Angus  with  a  crimson  wave  mounting  to 
his  temples,  was  left  to  his  Nemesis  and  after 
a  hopelessly  perfunctory  call  took  his  depart- 
ure, savagely  wondering  what  catastrophe 
was  left  to  befall  him. 


CHAPTER  XI 

In  which  the  truth  of  the  situation  begins  to 
dawn  on  Mr.  Carmichael,  in  conse- 
quence of  which  he  asserts  himself^ 
and  wins  one  blissful  afternoon 

NOTWITHSTANDING  the  uneven 
course  of  Mr.  Carmlchael's  ^  love  affair, 
he  and  Mr.  William  West  assured  each  other 
many  times  a  day,  as  they  had  done  many 
times  in  the  past,  and  would  probably  do 
many  times  in  the  future,  that  they  were 
having  the  time  of  their  lives. 

The  two  visitors  from  Yale  might  have  been 
from  Mars  or  Heaven,  so  royal  was  their 
entertainment. 

In  spite  of  Angus's  double  handicap  of  a 
stiff  knee  and  a  conspiracy,  he  was  managing 
to  hold  his  own.  It  was  not  half  bad  to  be 
fussed  over  and  sympathized  with,  and  the 
distinction  of  having  the  prettiest  girls   at 

138 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      139 

the  parties  eager  to  sit  out  the  dances  with 
him,  made  up  for  a  great  deal. 

Only  one  thing  troubled  him,  his  progress 
with  Jane  Kent  resembled  that  of  a  certain 
antique  gentleman  named  Tantalus  —  when- 
ever he  began  to  talk  to  her  someone  inter- 
rupted, a  previous  engagement  always  fore- 
stalled his  request,  or  a  pressing  duty  called 
her  away. 

Meanwhile  Nixie  maintained  with  him 
the  air  of  a  special  secret  understanding; 
and  Angus,  seeking  consolation,  and  not  con- 
sidering consequences,  laughingly  acquiesced. 

It  was  not  until  he  caught  a  bit  of  by-play 
at  the  Glee  Club  concert  that  he  began  to 
realize  the  situation.  It  was  the  one  occasion 
for  which  he  had  been  able  to  secure  Jane, 
and  what  was  his  chagrin  on  taking  his  seat 
to  find  that  the  positions  had  been  shifted, 
so  that  he  was  next  Nixie,  and  Billy  was  with 
Jane. 

"We  put  you  on  the  aisle,  old  chap,  so 
you  would  have  more  room,"  explained 
Heels  with  a  side  glance  at  Nixie,  whose  eyes 


I40      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

appeared  quite  innocent  over  the  edge  of  her 
programme. 

"Awfully  thoughtful,"  said  Angus  haught- 
ily, with  a  savage  determination  to  annihilate 
Mr.  William  West  at  the  earliest  possible 
moment. 

He  sulked  all  evening,  insisting  that  there 
was  not  a  decent  number  on  the  programme^ 
that  glee  clubs  were  a  bore,  and  that  the 
theatre  was  abominably  stuffy. 

On  the  way  home,  the  party  kept  together, 
and  it  was  not  until  they  reached  the 
Kents's  that  he  managed  to  say  to  Jane, 
in  an  undertone: 

"It's  a  beastly  shame  that  I  can  never  get 
five  seconds  alone  with  you.  You  are  going 
to  give  me  another  show,  aren't  you?" 

If  it  had  not  been  for  that,  and  the  ob- 
viously unhappy  evening  he  had  spent,  Jane 
would  not  have  taken  the  trouble  to  enter 
the  game. 

Next  day,  for  the  first  time  ignoring  her 
duty  as  hostess,  she  announced  that  she  and 
Mr.  Carmichael  were  going  out  in  her  cart, 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      141 

and  as  she  said  nothing  to  the  contrary,  it 
was  evident  that  they  were  going  alone. 

"You  know  you  said  you  had  such  a  lot 
of  letters  to  write,"  she  said  to  Nixie.  "And 
then  you  might  like  to  run  over  those  things 
we    are    going    to    play    to-morrow    night." 

"Or  take  a  walk  with  Mr.  Strange,"  sug- 
gested Nixie.    "That  would  be  too  exciting." 

The  two  girls  looked  at  each  other,  then 
they  laughed. 

"You  are  such  a  darling  ostrich!"  cried 
Nixie  impulsively,  "let's  'fess  up,  and  tell 
how  far  we  have  gotten!" 

"I  haven't  gotten  anywhere,"  said  Jane, 
indifferently,    as    she    pinned    on    her    hat. 

"I  have,"  announced  Nixie,  triumphantly. 
"I  had  to  sacrifice  dear  old  Dad  to  do  it. 
You  don't  think  he  would  mind  being  engaged 
to  an  actress  just  for  a  few  minutes,  do  you?" 

"Your  father?"  cried  Jane,  aghast. 

Nixie  nodded.  "I  had  to  make  up  a  fib 
in  order  to  get  even  with  the  dear  Angus. 
I  thought  he  was  terribly  foxy,  Jane;  but  he 
isn't,  he's  easy.     He  took  all  I  said  in  such 


142      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

good  faith  that  I  felt  unsportsmanlike.  You 
know  one  does  throw  the  little  ones  back." 

"Isn't  it  rather  a  stretch  to  call  Mr.  Car- 
michael  *a  little  one'?"  asked  Jane;  and 
remembering  his  titanic  proportions  they 
laughed  again. 

"Well  he  has  to  be  educated,"  declared 
Nixie.  "All  men  do.  Why  just  before  I 
left  home  an  Englishman  asked  me  if  I  wasn't 
afraid  to  come  down  South.  He  said  he 
supposed  there  were  still  some  red  men  at 
large.  I  told  him  there  were  lots  of  them, 
and  that  the  alligators  came  up  out  of  the 
swamps  into  the  orange  groves,  and  stood  on 
their  tails  and  bit  the  fruit  right  off  the  trees. 
And  he  swallowed  it,  my  dear,  orange  groves, 
alligators  and  all!" 

"So  you  are  going  to  undertake  to  educate 
Mr.  Carmichael?"  asked  Jane,  looking  down 
to  hide  the  twinkle  in  her  eyes. 

"I  am,"  declared  Nixie  stoutly,  "and  you 
are  going  to  help  me.  You  haven't  done 
your  part,  Jane  Kent,  though  heaven  knows 
that  little  air  of  far  off  and  chill  unconcern 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      143 

may  be  fruit  of  the  deepest  guile.  We've 
got  to  pay  him  up  for  those  two  notes,  and 
for  frivoling  as  he  has  with  both  of  us,  and 
we  have  got  to  bring  things  to  a  crisis  before 
to-morrow  night,  for  the  boys  leave  early 
the  next  morning." 

A  ring  at  the  bell  announced  that  Angus 
had  arrived.     Nixie  flew  to  the  window. 

"There  he  is  now!  the  beautiful  wretch! 
Where  did  you  say  you  were  going?" 

"Just  driving,"  said  Jane,  as  she  slipped 
into  her  long  fur  coat  and  tripped  down  stairs. 

Half  an  hour  later  when  Heels  dropped  in, 
Nixie  pounced  upon  him. 

"They've  escaped  us!"  she  cried.  "Gone 
off  alone  in  a  cart  that  could  easily  open  out 
and  seat  four.  But  I  know  where  they  are 
going.  It  came  to  me  the  second  they 
started.  She  was  telling  him  last  night  about 
the  new  gym  at  the  parish  house.  I'll 
wager  my  hat  they've  gone  there.  Can't 
we  get  there  by  car?" 

Jane  and  Angus,  after  a  brisk  drive  in  the 
sparkling  air  leisurely  turned  the  corner  at 


144      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

the  parish  house.  As  they  did  so,  two  famil- 
iar figures  were  mounting  the  steps,  with 
even  their  backs  giving  every  appearance  of 
haste  and  glee. 

Angus  seized  the  reins  from  his  companion, 
checked  the  horse  so  sharply  that  he  brought 
it  to  its  haunches,  whirled  the  cart  in  its 
tracks,  and  succeeded  in  turning  the  corner 
undiscovered. 

"Saved!"  he  ejaculated  fervently,  as  they 
grazed  the  curbing  and  turned  into  a  side 
street. 

"Our  devoted  friends,"  laughed  Jane. 
"Can't  you  see  how  surprised  they  were 
going  to  be  when  they  found  us  ?  I  can  just 
hear  Nixie  saying,  *Why  how  did  we  happen 
to  come  to  the  same  place.?'" 

"But  what  was  Mrs.  Kent  doing  there.?" 
said  Angus. 

"Aunt    Marcia?"    asked    Jane,   surprised. 

"Yes,  I  saw  her  at  the  window  in  a  lavender 
dress.     I'm  sure  of  it." 

"Why,  of  course  you  did!  This  is  the  after- 
noon Mr.  Strange  asked  us  all  down  to  the 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE       145 

parish  house  reception.  I  forgot  all  about 
it.     Shall  we  go  back?" 

"Not  on  your  life,"  said  Angus.  "You 
are  going  to  button  your  little  coat  up  under 
your  little  chin,  and  if  the  wind  isn't  too  much 
for  you,  we  are  going  to  drive  to  the  end  of 
things!" 

"I  told  you  once  before  that  I  liked  the 
wind,"  said  Jane,  demurely. 

It  was  a  long  drive  and  a  cold  one,  and 
when  they  turned  into  the  Kent  driveway 
they  realized  that  they  had  gone  a  long  way 
in  more  ways  than  one.  She  had  forgotten 
that  she  was  playing  a  game,  and  that  he, 
of  course,  was  flirting.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
they  had  not  flirted  at  all.  They  had  fallen 
into  a  very  earnest  talk,  about  life  work  and 
ideals,  and  had  confessed  to  each  other  their 
secret  aims  and  aspirations. 

It  was  with  a  new  understanding  that  they 
reached  home  and  entered  the  deserted 
house. 

"We  are  the  first  to  get  back,"  said  Jane. 
"Let's  go  over  into  the  library." 


146      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

The  big  wood  fire  had  sunk  to  glowing 
embers  and  the  room  was  cozy  and  warm 
and  inviting. 

Jane  stooped  on  the  hearth  and  before  he 
could  stop  her  threw  on  some  fresh  wood. 

"I  like  to  do  it  myself,"  she  declared. 
"It  makes  the  fire  mine,  you  know!" 

As  she  turned  her  head  and  looked  up  at 
him  from  her  rich  brown  furs,  her  face  was 
glowing,  and  her  eyes  tender. 

The  sense  of  solitude,  and  a  delicious 
sense  of  confederacy  in  their  truancy,  quite 
filled  the  cup  of  bliss  to  its  brim  for  Angus. 

"Isn't  this  immense.''"  he  said  from  the 
bottom  of  his  heart,  as  he  sank  into  a  big 
chair  and  held  out  his  hands  to  the  blaze. 
"You  know  everything  has  been  dead  against 
me  lately.  In  fact  ever  since  I  started  down 
here    to    Kentucky.     First    my    knee " 

"And  then  your  wife." 

"And  then  my  rivals.  Heels  and  His 
Chubbs." 

"Now  really,  Mr.  Carmichael  —  you 
mustn't  imagine  —  I  assure  you 1" 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      147 

"Honestly  it's  been  the  very  Nick  to  pay!" 
continued  Angus. 

"Are  you  sure  it's  Nick  and  not  Nixie?" 
Jane  couldn't  refrain  from  asking. 

"  Oh,  Miss  Nixie !"  Angus  laughed.  "  She's 
a  great  girl.  She's  like  a  cannon  fire  cracker 
when  its  fuse  is  too  short.  You're  never 
quite  sure  how  or  when  she's  going  off,  or 
where  you  will  be  when  she  does.  But  she 
couldn't  have  affected  my  luck.  I'm  under 
a  hoodoo.  You  don't  suppose  you  could 
take  me  under  the  protection  of  your  star 
sapphire,  do  you?" 

She  was  sitting  on  a  low  hassock  before  the 
fire,  her  hands  clasped  about  her  knees,  and 
as  he  spoke  she  slipped  the  ring  from  her 
finger  and  held  it  out  to  him. 

"Try  it,"  she  said. 

"Oh,  I  didn't  mean  that!"  cried  Angus. 
"But  do  you  mean  it,  honest?  You'll  let 
me  wear  it  for  a  while?" 

They  had  both  exchanged  favours  often 
enough  before  this,  and  Jane  had  lost 
as    many    fraternity    pins    as    Angus    had 


148      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

given  away,  but  all  that  had  held  the  thrill 
of  merely  general  romance.  This  was 
different. 

Angus  turned  the  ring  on  his  finger,  but 
he  was  looking  at  her. 

"ni  take  the  best  care  of  it  ever,"  he 
declared  with  unnecessary  warmth.  "Noth- 
ing in  the  world  shall  happen  to  it." 

"Oh,  it's  not  so  valuable  as  that,"  Jane 
hastened  to  assure  him.  "  Sometimes  I  don't 
have  it  on  for  months  at  a  time." 

"May  I  bring  it  back  at  Easter,  if  it  brings 
me  luck,  you  know?"  he  was  leaning  toward 
her  now,  his  eyes  so  urgent,  so  honest,  so 
beseeching,  that  the  sudden  success  of  the 
undertaking  toward  which  she  had  not  been 
working,  swept  Jane  with  panic. 

She  arose  in  alarm,  her  face  paling  and 
glowing  like  the  pulsing  fire. 

"Didn't  you  hear  the  carriage?"  she  asked, 
nervously  starting  toward  the  door. 

"Jane!"  he  implored,  blocking  her  way, 
and  catching  both  of  her  hands  in  his,  "I've 
got  to  go  back  to  college  day  after  to-morrow. 


1^  -        K^^^i=tr^ 

''Fve  got  to  go  back  to  college  day  after  to-morrow. 

This  may  he  the  last  minute  weHl 

have  alone  together' 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      149 

This  may  be  the  last  minute  we'll  have  alone 
together!" 

"They  are  coming,  I  hear  them,"  declared 
Jane  dipping  past  him  all  aflutter. 

She  opened  the  front  door  a  little  breathless 
and  with  a  fine  colour. 

"Why,  where  are  your  lights?"  said  Mrs. 
Kent,  stepping  in  briskly  and  snapping  on 
the  electric  switches. 

"We  have  just  arrived  ourselves,"  said 
Angus,  coming  to  the  rescue.  "We've  had 
a  bully  drive." 

"In  this  freezing  wind?"  said  Mrs.  Kent 
incredulously.  "Did  you  forget,  Jane,  that 
you  had  an  engagement  at  the  parish  house? 
Nixie  and  Mr.  West  didn't  desert  us." 

"They  never  do,"  said  Jane. 

That  night  at  bed  time  Nixie  took  Jane 
to  task.  None  of  the  points  of  the  afternoon 
had  been  lost  upon  her,  the  dim  library, 
the  unusual  seriousness  of  Angus,  and  the 
preoccupation  of  Jane. 

"Jane  Kent,  she  threatened,  brandishing 
her  hair  brush,  "don't  you  dare  believe  what 


I50      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE  ^ 

he  tells  you!  He's  told  it  to  a  hundred  girls 
before,  and  he's  laughing  at  you  this  minute.'* 

"No  he  isn't,"  said  Jane  firmly,  "and 
beside  I  haven't  said  he  had  told  me  anything 
to  believe.  We've  been  horrid  to  him.  Nixie, 
making  his  whole  vacation  a  game  of  tangle- 
foot.    I  for  one  am  just  about  ready  to  stop." 

"Not  till  you've  brought  the  thing  to  a 
finish,"  protested  Nixie.  "I'll  wager  I  can 
convince  you  that  I  am  right  by  noon  to- 


morrow." 


"How.?" 

"I'll  tell  you,  if  you'll  promise  to  do  what 
I  ask." 

"That  depends " 

"Oh!  It  isn't  anything  that  involves  your 
character,  it's  just  a  note  I  want  you  to  write. 
If  you  won't  do  it,  I  shall  know  that  you  are 
taking  this  whole  thing  seriously,  and  that 
another  little  moth  has  singed  its  wings. 
Will  you  do  it,  if  it's  perfectly  fair  and  square 
and  simple?" 

"Yes,"  said  Jane  miserably. 


CHAPTER  XII 

Shows  how  too  many  opportunities  came 
knocking  at  the  door^  impelling  Mr. 
Carmichael    to  flight 

/\N  outside  observer  would  not  have 
■^  •*■  deemed  it  a  bad  beginning  for  the 
New  Year  had  he  beheld  Angus  Carmichael 
the  next  morning  in  his  own  room,  comfort- 
ably ensconced  with  his  leg  upon  a  chair, 
canes  at  hand  and  a  tray  provided  with 
steaming  coffee,  yellow  cream,  new-laid  eggs 
and  flaky  rolls  before  him.  Mrs.  Binkins, 
like  the  rest  of  womankind,  up  to  his  recent 
acquaintance  with  a  certain  two,  was  doing 
her  best  to  spoil  him. 

Yet  a  frown  contracted  his  brow  as  he 
sipped  his  coffee  perturbedly.  The  fact  was, 
he  was  worried.  In  his  left  hand  he  held 
an  opened  note.  On  the  tray  was  another. 
Either     one     arriving     singly     would    have 


152      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

brought  pleasure,  but  coming  together  they 
brought  consternation. 

The  one  which  he  held  in  his  hand,  made 
his  heart  pound  against  his  ribs.  It  was  from 
Jane  Kent  and  ran  as  follows: 

Dear  Mr.  Carmichael: 

I  had  quite  forgotten  that  there  are  all  sorts  of  rules  and 
conditions  about  wearing  that  star  sapphire,  if  it  is  to 
bring  you  luck.  Aunt  Marcia  tells  me  that  certain  zodiacal 
conjunctions  of  lucky  stars  and  other  astral  conditions  are 
all  written  down  on  a  bit  of  parchment  which  she  is  going  to 
look  up  for  me  this  morning. 

Of  course  I  feel  terribly  responsible  about  that  luck  of 
yours,  and  want  the  charm  to  work.  If  you  slip  in  here  at 
four  this  afternoon  I'll  tell  you  all  about  it  over  a  cup  of  tea. 
Nixie  says  she  has  an  engagement  at  that  hour,  and  it  will 
be  the  only  free  hour  I  will  have  to-day. 

Don't  bother  to  answer  this  as  we  are  starting  out  for  the 
day  and  won't  be  back  for  luncheon. 

Jane  Kent. 

Angus,  Still  frowning,  his  breakfast  cooling 
before  him,  took  up  the  second  note;  it  ran: 

Angus  dear: 

You  told  me  to  call  on  you  when  I  needed  you,  and  I  need 
you  now  awfully.  In  fact  I've  got  to  see  you.  I  promise  not 
to  take  any  step  until  I  talk  it  over  with  you,  but  I  must  see 
you  this  afternoon.  Everything  depends  on  whether  you 
meant  what  you  said  the  other  day.  Jane  says  she's  got  a 
date  at  four;  that  will  be  our  only  chance,  as  we  are  getting 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      153 

ready  now  to'  go  off  for  the  day.    You  needn't  answer,  but 
come.    Don't  you  dare  fail  me. 

Yours  (perhaps), 

Nixie. 

To  be  sure  it  was  nothing  more  than  he 
deserved,  for  had  he  not  held  Miss  Donovan's 
hand,  and  patted  it  reassuringly,  even  ar- 
dently, while  he  had  adjured  her  to  call  upon 
him  in  any  and  all  emergencies? 

But  those  were  the  things  the  occasion 
demanded.  It  was  not  like  Nixie  to  mis- 
understand. She  was  the  kind  of  girl  to 
have  proposals  to  throw  away,  and  the 
difficulty  for  the  right  man  would  be  in 
bringing  her  to  the  point.  He  never  dreamed 
she  would  be  in  earnest  about  it.  Suppose 
she  confided  in  Jane! 

Four  o'clock,  and  two  girls  would  be  waiting 
for  him  by  special  appointment,  under  the 
same  roof!  He  must  do  something,  go  some- 
where, and  not  get  back  in  time;  must  break 
the  other  leg  if  necessary. 

Pushing  his  breakfast  tray  aside,  he  limped 
to  the  window. 

"Good  morning,  Gussie,"  said  Billy  West 


154      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

from  the  doorway,  "greeting  the  rosy- 
dawn?" 

Angus  turned  upon  him  a  serious  face. 
"I'm  feeling  rather  seedy,  Bill.  The  fact 
is  if  I  don't  get  out  for  a  long  walk  or  drive 
or  something  I'm  apt  to  be  laid  up.  Three 
square  meals  a  day  of  all  this  good  Southern 
food,  and  no  exercise,  is  telling  on  me." 

Heels  looked  concerned.  "What  can  I 
do  for  you  old  chap?  You  aren't  up  to  a 
tramp,  and  the  ground  is  too  slippery  to 
make  driving  any  good." 

"Get  a  motor,"  said  Angus,  recklessly. 
"You  and  Strange  and  I  will  go  out  for  a 
good  long  spin.  I  want  to  get  my  lungs  full 
of  oxygen;  I  want  to  stay  out  a  long  while." 

"It  will  be  beastly  cold,"  complained 
Heels,  "but  if  I  can  find  a  steady,  quiet 
chauffeur " 

"Steady,  quiet  granny!  I  want  the  exer- 
cise. You  get  the  machine  and  I'll  run  it. 
Hang  it,  don't  you  see  that  I  must  have 
something  besides  this  confounded  knee  to 
think  about?" 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      155 

"There's  Nixie,"  said  Heels,  thoughtfully. 

"Or  Jane,"  retorted  Angus.  "Either  one 
of  them  can  keep  a  fellow  guessing.  You  go 
on  and  'phone  for  a  machine,  and  ask  Strange 
to  come  along.  Each  of  us  will  be  happier 
where  the  other  two  are.  Get  a  make  that 
I  know  about.  Strange  says  if  there's  one 
thing  Louisville  can  furnish  it's  autos.  Get 
a  cracker-jack  if  you  can." 

But  Heels  was  not  listening;  he  was  staring 
at  a  curious  ring  that  encircled  the  little 
finger  of  Mr.  Angus  Carmichael. 

"Hello!     What's  this?"  he  demanded. 

Angus    thrust    his    hand    in    his    pocket. 

"Lay  overs  for  meddlers,"  he  quoted. 
"You  toddle  along  and  get  that  machine." 

"But  honestly,  don't  you  think  it's  too 
cold.?"  insisted  Heels.  "And  besides  this  is 
our  last  day." 

"It's  six  above,  the  paper  says  so.  Ideal 
for  autoing.  The  ground  is  solid  and  the 
snow  dry.  Besides  the  girls  are  gone  some- 
where for  the  day.  Won't  be  back  until 
four  o'clock." 


156      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

It  was  about  noon  when  three  well  leathered, 
furred  and  goggled  figures  in  an  open  machine 
sped  eastward  up  Broadway.  Angus  would 
not  have  admitted  it  for  worlds,  but  his  teeth 
were  chattering  and  his  hands  already  numb. 

"Where  are  we  going?"  asked  Billy  dolor- 
ously from  the  back  seat. 

"Oh  Shelby ville,  or  anywhere.  Strange, 
you  know  the  roads,  where  shall  we  go  for  a 
good   long   spin?"  asked   Angus,   cheerfully. 

"Well  I  must  be  back  by  four,"  said  the 
Rev.  Luke,  whose  nose  peeped  like  a  pink 
icicle  from  between  the  brim  of  his  cap,  and 
the  heavy  lap  robe. 

"That  will  be  easy,"  said  Angus,  "unless 
of  course,  something  happens." 

And  it  was  not  long  after  they  had  left  the 
trolley  line  and  the  railroad  and  embarked 
upon  that  ancient  turnpike,  which  forms  part 
of  Kentucky  history,  that  things  did  begin 
to  happen. 

At  Middletown  Angus  became  suddenly 
solicitous  of  his  tire,  and  made  his  friends 
descend  and  consume  several  minutes  jump- 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      157 

ing  upon  it  to  make  sure  it  was  not  a 
little  flat. 

At  Simpsonville  he  was  sure  he  heard 
a  thumping,  which  necessitated  another  delay 
and  inspection. 

"There  doesn't  seem  to  be  anything  wrong," 
said  Mr.  Strange,  peering  under  the  wheels 
with  non-professional  interest. 

"You  never  can  tell,"  said  Angus,  "we'll 
just  stop  at  a  garage  in  Shelbyville  and  make 
sure." 

In  spite  of  these  delays  they  drew  up  before 
the  country  hotel  in  such  excellent  time  that 
Angus's  spirits  drooped.  At  this  rate  they 
would  reach  home  entirely  too  soon  for  his 
convenience. 

"You  are  tired,"  said  Mr.  Strange,  solici- 
tously. "You  oughtn't  to  have  attempted 
such  a  long  run.  Suppose  you  and  I  go  back 
on  the  train,  and  let  Billy  bring  the  machine 
back." 

"Billy  doesn't  know  a  spark-plug  from  a 
muffler!"  said  Angus,  triumphantly.  "No, 
just  let  me  rest  here  for  half  an  hour,  and  get 


158      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

a  little  something  to  eat,  and  I'll  be  ready  to 
start  again." 

There  was  nothing  to  do  but  wait,  and 
while  Heels  and  Angus  took  a  short  nap,  the 
Rev.  Luke  sat,  watch  in  hand,  making  cal- 
culations. 

When  at  last  they  were  ready  to  start, 
Angus  remembered  the  garage  inspection. 
His  delight  at  finding  the  oil  supply  short  was 
tempered  only  by  the  fact  that  had  it  not  been 
discovered  he  might  have  broughthis  machine 
to  a  halt  in  the  middle  of  an  oilless  nowhere. 

"I'm  awfully  particular  about  the  oil  I  use," 
said  Angus,  going  into  tedious  details  as  to 
quality.  "So  much  depends  upon  the 
grade.  Dirty  stuff  clogs  things  up.  And 
a  little  care  in  the  beginning  saves  time  in 
the  long  run,  you  know." 

"That  depends  on  whose  long  run  it  is," 
said  Mr.  Strange,  a  little  crossly.  "I've  let 
my  train  go,  and  I'll  be  late  for  that  engage- 
ment. I  hardly  know  where  to  reach  —  er 
—  my  party  by  'phone,  as  they  will  not  be 
home  until  four." 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      159 

Angus  smiled  blandly  into  the  machinery. 
If  he  was  to  become  a  culprit  through  his 
failure  to  keep  an  appointment,  or  rather 
two  of  them,  how  excellent  a  thing  it  would 
be  to  have  a  companion  in  disgrace!  He 
was  more  than  ever  resolved  that  something 
should  happen. 

But  the  machine  seemed  pining  to  run. 
The  ground  frozen  smooth  and  hard,  with  a 
thin  layer  of  snow  that  packed  like  coarse 
salt,  made  a  splendid  surface.  There  was 
hardly  a  vehicle  in  the  way.  Once  indeed 
they  met  an  old-fashioned  rockaway,  and 
Angus  blew  all  his  horns  so  vociferously  that 
the  old  white  horse  gave  a  mild  caper. 

As  the  vehicle  halted  three  gaunt  females 
descended  in  great  trepidation. 

"May  we  lead  your  horse  by?"  asked 
Angus,  coming  abreast  and  slowing  up. 

"Naw,  but  you  might  lead  the  women 
folks  by,"  came  a  snappy  masculine  voice 
from  the  interior  of  the  rockaway. 

Full  five  lovely  minutes  had  been  consumed 
by  this  episode.     Still,  Shelbyville  was  only 


i6o      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

an  hour's  run  from  Louisville  for  a  good 
machine  with  a  clear  field  on  a  fair  road."^iIt 
was  now  only  a  trifle  past  two,  and  they  were 
well  started.     The  case  looked  desperate. 

Angus  threw  the  ball  of  infant  damnation 
to  the  back  seat,  got  the  Rev.  Luke  and 
Billy  to  disputing,  followed  it  up  by  an  allu- 
sion to  apostolic  succession,  and  played  the 
grand  coup. 

"I  never  remember  seeing  that  house  on 
this  road  before,"  said  Mr.  Strange,  observ- 
ing his  surroundings  after  fifteen  minutes  of 
disputatious  oblivion.  "Angus,  are  you  quite 
sure  we  are  on  the  main  road.^"' 

"Isn't  it  straight  as  a  string.^  You  said 
it  was,"  said  the  shameless  Angus. 

"There  is  a  fork  somewhere  along  here," 
insisted  Mr.  Strange  dubiously. 

They  passed  some  children  trudging  along, 
who  sprang  up  the  bank  to  put  a  wide  dis- 
tance between  themselves  and  the  monster. 

"Never  saw  an  auto,  evidently,"  said 
Billy. 

"Which  proves  that  we  are  not  on   the 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE       i6i 

highway,"  said  Mr.  Strange,  much  disturbed. 
"Unless  I  am  greatly  mistaken  our  present 
road  was  an  original  creek-bed.  Put  me 
down,  Carmichael,  and  I'll  go  up  to  that 
farm  house  and  inquire." 

He  did  so,  and  before  Angus  knew  it,  he 
was  unwillingly  guiding  the  machine  by 
means  of  a  short  cut  through  a  smooth  lane, 
into  the  main  road  again  near  Middletown. 
Fifteen,  perhaps  twenty  minutes  had  been 
lost,  but  there  was  still  a  dismaying  gap 
between  now  and  even  three  o'clock. 

The  machine  ate  up  the  road  ravenously, 
and  Angus  gazing  gloomily  ahead  could 
already  see  the  two  waiting  figures  in  the 
Kent  drawing-room.  Suddenly  his  back 
straightened  and  his  eyes  brightened.  Relief 
was  in  sight! 

It  was  only  a  plank  lying  ahead  of  him, 
on  one  side  of  the  road,  but  it  was  a  nail- 
studded  one,  with  the  row  of  rusty  teeth 
viciously  upward.  The  machine  swerved  to 
that  side  of  the  road,  there  was  a  sharp 
report  and  a  tire  blew  out. 


i62      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

"Just  our  luck!"  the  shameless  Mr.  Car- 
michael  was  heard  to  be  saying.  "With 
both  my  legs  in  commission  I  could  mend  it 
in  ten  minutes.  But  crippled  as  I  am!  It 
is  good  for  thirty  minutes  and  more.  Billy, 
you  ignoramus  when  it  comes  to  autoing, 
help  me  down." 

This  young  man  was  almost  ashamed  of 
the  helpless  way  in  which  his  friend  had  to  be 
lifted  out.  Gus  was  usually  more  game.  He 
insisted  too,  upon  having  the  cushion  put  on 
the  roadside  for  him,  giving  as  an  argu- 
ment that  owing  to  his  patella  he  would 
mend  the  tire  as  best  he  might,  sitting  down! 
He  took  off  his  fur  gloves  leisurely  too,  and 
slipping  Jane's  ring  off  his  finger  put  it  care- 
fully Into  his  pocket,  before  he  disposed  of 
his  gloves.     Then  he  was  ready. 

Strange  meanwhile  had  disappeared  up 
the  road,  and  now  appeared  out  of  a  black- 
smith's shop,  followed  by  a  man  who  bore  — 
of  all  things  —  a  new  tire! 

Angus  groaned. 

"What's  the  matter?"  asked  Heels  with 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      163 

impatient  anxiety.  "You  hadn't  any  busi- 
ness coming  on  this  fool  trip." 

"I'm  all  right,"  said  Angus.  "All  this 
fresh  air  is  doing  me  good." 

An  hour  and  twenty  minutes  remained 
to  be  consumed  and  Angus  had  but  one  more 
card  to  play. 

Between  Middletown  and  the  burg  of 
St.  Matthews  is  a  stretch  of  road  so  smooth 
and  so  level  that  it  is  a  mere  bait  to  tempta- 
tion. Constable  traps  had  been  mentioned 
by  Mr.  Strange  as  they  passed  through  the 
place  at  noon,  and  blue  signs  emphasized 
the  law  as  they  neared  it  again. 

It  was  now  that  Mr.  Strange,  leaning 
forward,  touched  Mr.  Carmichael  on  the 
shoulder.  "Aren't  we  going  a  bit  too  fast.'' " 
he  shouted. 

They  were.  Their  levers  were  set  at  top 
speed. 

"  I  thought  you  were  in  a  hurry  to  get 
home,"  Angus  shouted  back. 

And  then,  as  they  sped  toward  the  electric 
car  station,  it  happened  as  he  wished.     Two 


i64      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

silver-badged  men  stepped  out  and  held  up 
their  hands. 

The  car  shot  by  them,  slowed  up,  then 
began  backing. 

"Don't  mind  'em,"  cried  Billy,  "they  can 
get  our  number  if  they  want  and  serve  their 
warrants  to-morrow." 

Angus  continued  to  back  industriously. 
"If  it  was  just  us,  Bill,  but  Mr.  Strange, 
you  know " 

"Don't  mind  me,"  urged  the  Rev.  Luke 
with  unbelievable  depravity,  "just  get  away 
if  you  can;  I'm  late  now." 

"I  don't  like  to,"  insisted  Angus,  "we 
can't  deny  we  were  going  some  sixty  miles  if 
it  was " 

"Taken  with  the  worruds  in  your  own 
mouth,  young  gintleman,"  interrupted  one 
of  the  officers,  coming  alongside. 

"Hello  Murphy!"  said  Mr.  Strange,  "when 
did  you  get  off  the  ball  team  to  go  at  this? 
I  suppose  you  could  not  take  our  cards  and 
number,  and  let  the  matter  come  up  later? 
We  are  in  a  great  hurry." 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      165 

Mr.  Murphy  thought  that  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, he  could,  and  once  more  the 
reverend  little  gentleman  unconsciously 
scored. 

"Your  card  West?  Can  you  get  at  yours, 
Carmichael.^  If  you  ever  need  me,  Murphy, 
in  an  affair  of  your  own  —  what's  the  further 
trouble,  Carmichael?" 

For  Angus  having  drawn  his  big  gloves  off, 
and  after  feeling  hurriedly  in  his  pockets,  was 
pale. 

"What  is  it,  Gus?"  asked  Billy,  "can't 
you  find  a  card?" 

"The  ring,"  groaned  Angus.  "The  ring, 
Jane  —  Miss  Kent  lent  me  —  that  I  borrowed 
I  mean  —  is  gone.  I  must  have  pulled  it 
out  with  my  handkerchief  at  Middletown, 
We  must  go  back." 

His  companions  looked  patiently  tried. 

"Let's  look  here  first,"  suggested  Mr. 
Strange,   but   the   search   was   unsuccessful. 

"We  can't  hope  to  find  it  this  afternoon," 
said  Heels.  "You  can  go  back  to  town  and 
send  some  men  out  early  in  the  morning." 


i66      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

"Billy  West,"  said  Angus  solemnly,  "I 
wouldn't  go  back  to  town  without  that  ring 
for  all  the  earth  holds.  If  you  don't  want  to 
go  back  to  look  for  it,  I'll  go  alone." 

"In  any  case  you  will  not  need  me,"  said 
Mr.  Strange;  and  without  waiting  for  a  reply^ 
he  skipped  nimbly  off  to  catch  the  interurban 
car  that  was  just  starting  for  the  city. 

"I've  got  to  find  that  ring,"  declared 
Angus,  sincerely  enough  now.  "And  by 
George!  if  it  isn't  beginning  to  snow!  The 
ground  will  be  covered  in  no  time.  We'll 
make  a  run  for  it,  anyhow." 

Carefully  the  road  was  retraced,  until  the 
gathering  dusk  forced  them  to  turn  back. 

"And  we  go  in  the  morning!"  said  Angus 
miserably  as  they  neared  town.  "I'll  have 
to  leave  the  search  to  other  people.  Bill 
if  it  hadn't  been  for  this  confounded  mishap, 
the  world  would  have  been  mine.  I  was 
winning  in  a  walk!" 

"Oh!  I  don't  know,"  said  Heels.  "It 
strikes  me  there  were  others." 

"Never!"  cried  Angus,  "I  have  reason  to 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      167 

believe  that  she  looks  on  you  and  Chubby  as 
good  friends  only." 

It  was  at  this  moment,  just  as  they  came  in 
sight  of  the  Strange  house,  that  Billy  West, 
loosening  the  rug  tucked  in  about  his  person, 
felt  something  drop  on  his  foot.  As  he  stooped 
to  pick  it  up  he  did  not  have  to  see  it  to  know 
what  it  was. 

So  Angus  had  won  in  a  walk,  had  he? 
Well  he  would  make  him  run  a  bit. 

"It  is  still  a  fair  field,  and  no  favours, 
isn't  it?     And  all  tactics  go?" 

"Of  course,"  said  Angus  crossly.  "I 
didn't  say  I'd  won.  Do  get  out.  Bill,  and 
telephone  somebody  to  come  get  this  con- 
founded motor.  We  are  due  at  the  Kents's 
for  dinner  and  we  are  late  now." 

And  as  the  two  made  a  rush  for  the  house, 
Mr.  William  West  dropped  a  sapphire  ring 
into  his  vest  pocket,  and  smiled  heartlessly  at 
the  serious  face  of  the  limping  giant  whom  he 
was  tenderly  helping  up  the  stairs. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

Tells  of  the  last  evening  at  the  Kents^s;  relates 
three  important  conversations,  and  ends 
merrily   with   a   midnight   supper 

NINE  o'clock  that  evening  found  Mrs. 
Kent  playing  a  comfortable  game  of 
solitaire  in  her  library,  while  in  the  drawing 
room  the  natural  uproariousness  of  youth  was 
venting  itself  in  college  songs  and  nerve 
racking  rag-time.  The  two  visitors  from 
next  door  had  presented  themselves  in  the 
midst  of  dinner,  with  proper  apologies  and 
many  accounts  of  divers  adventures.  They 
had  been  reinforced  later  in  the  evening  by 
other  callers,  and  the  interval  between  songs 
was  filled  with  a  perfect  babel  of  talk  and 
laughter. 

It  was  in  the  midst  of  "Mary  Had  a  Little 
Lamb"  with  its  explosive  chorus  of  "Whoop- 
a-doodle-doo!"  that  Angus  CarmichaeFs  voice 

i68 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE       169 

was  heard  asking  if  he  might  come  in  and  sit 
with  her  a  while. 

Mrs.  Kent  looked  up  in  the  act  of  laying 
down  a  card.  "Why,  of  course  —  come  in 
and  tell  me  the  truth  about  what  happened 
to-day.  You  miserable  boys  kept  those 
poor  girls  dressed  and  waiting  all  afternoon, 
while  Luke  Strange  got  home  when  he  said 
he  would.  You  don't  mind  my  going  on,  do 
you.'*  When  I  begin  Canfield  I  simply  cannot 
stop  till  I  make  it.  But  don't  you  like  to 
sing.?  I  hope  your  knee  is  not  paining  you. 
You  have  been  very  reckless  with  it." 

Angus  disclaimed  any  suffering  in  that 
quarter,  but  his  usually  cheerful  countenance 
betrayed  a  gloom  so  profound,  as  he  took  a 
chair  beside  the  card  table,  that  his  hostess 
felt  a  genuine  concern. 

"I  am  afraid  something  is  wrong.  You 
haven't  lost  any  more " 

"Wives.?  No,  worse  than  that,"  he  re- 
sponded with  a  melancholy  smile. 

Mrs.  Kent  laughed.  "In  that  remark 
there  seems  to  me  to  be  a  trifle  of  disrespect 


I70       A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

towards  that  not  impossible  she  who  shall 
command  your  heart  some  day." 

"Oh,  I  shall  never  marry,"  said  Angus 
with  intense  seriousness.  A  very  indifferent 
reception  by  both  Jane  and  Nixie  rendered 
him  humble. 

"No.?"  said  Mrs.  Kent.  "Isn't  it  early 
to  be  making  up  your  mind  so  positively.''" 

At  this  moment,  the  attractions  of  Mary 
and  her  Iamb  having  been  exhausted,  Jane's 
clear  soprano  rose  in  a  monotonous  tune, 
accompanied  by  Billy's  banjo,  every  word 
distinctly  heard  in  the  library: 

"  I'm  determined  to  be  an  old  maid, 
I'd  rather  stay  single  and  live  in  the  shade 
So  I'll  not  marry  at  all,  at  all 
So  I'll  not  marry  at  all." 


« 


'A  singular  coincidence."  Mrs.  Kent 
observed,  trying  not  to  show  all  the  amuse- 
ment she  felt.  The  chorus  meanwhile  took 
up  the  matter  enthusiastically,  reiterating: 

"For  she's  determined  to  be  an  old  maid " 

Angus  leaned  an  elbow  on  the  table  and 
supported    his    chin    in   his    hand.     "That's 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      171 

all  nonsense,  of  course,"  he  said  gloomily, 
"but  /  mean  it,  and  no  joke.  I  have  such 
beastly  luck.  I'm  forever  in  some  horrid 
scrape." 

It  would  seem  that  he  was  about  to  confide, 
but  if  so,  he  thought  better  of  it  and  abruptly 
changed  the  subject.  "This  is  our  last 
evening  Mrs.  Kent,"  he  said.  "We've  had 
a  perfectly  corking  time,  and  a  lot  of  it 
is  owing  to  you.  Talk  about  Kentucky 
hospitality!  Why  we  came  down  here,  Billy 
and  I,  total  strangers,  and  you  took  us  in  as 
if  we  had  been  old  friends  —  you  and  Miss 
Jane." 

"The  pleasure  has  been  ours,  I  assure  you. 
Mr.  Strange's  friends  always  have  the  entree 
here,  but  from  now  on  we  claim  you  as  our 
own.  I  have  enjoyed  the  fun  almost  as 
much  as  you.  And  to  think  we  have  to  give 
Nixie  up  too!  Mr.  Donovan  telegraphed 
her  to-day  not  to  fail  to  leave  to-morrow. 
Jane  will  be  simply  lost." 

After  this  the  game  went  on  in  silence  for 
a  time;  the  music  in  the  drawing  room  ceased, 


172      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

and  the  callers  were  heard  taking  leave. 
Then  presently,  following  some  chords  on 
the  piano,  Mr.  Strange's  voice  was  heard. 
He  possessed  a  pleasing  baritone,  rather 
carefully  cultivated,  and  sang  with  taste 
and  feeling.  Angus  lifted  his  head.  "I 
didn't  know  old  Luke  was  such  a  canary," 
he  said. 

"O  bid  me  love  and  I  will  give 
A  loving  heart  to  thee  —  " 

sang  Mr.  Strange. 

"Oh  yes,  Luke  does  most  things  well," 
Mrs.  Kent  assented. 

"And  I  have  noticed  that  he  usually  gets 
what  he  goes  after,"  said  Angus.  "Now 
to  whom  do  you  suppose  he  is  presenting  his 
heart  in  that  off-hand  fashion?" 

Mrs.  Kent  smiled,  gazing  at  her  cards 
with  a  finger  on  her  lips. 

"Thou  art  my  love,  my  life,  my  heart. 
The  very  eyes  of  me. 
And  hast  command  of  every  part 
To  live  and  die  for  thee." 

Thus  ran  the  song.  "So  the  question  is," 
continued    Angus,    "What's    he    after?  —  I 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      173 

say  Mrs.  Kent,  I  suppose  he  and  Miss 
Jane  are  awfully  good  friends,  aren't 
they?" 

"Awfully!"  Mrs.  Kent  repeated  mock- 
ingly, then  observing  Mr.  CarmichaeFs  wceful 
countenance  she  was  moved  to  add,  for  she 
liked  this  engaging  young  man  exceedingly: 
"In  fact,  I  think  Jane  regards  Luke  as  a  sort 
of  —  grandfather.  But  of  course  that  is 
nothing  to  you,"  she  added. 

Angus  laughed.  "Well  you  see  Mrs.  Kent, 
I  knew  Luke  was  soft  on  somebody.  It  was 
this  way:  when  we  first  got  acquainted  with 
him  he  made  a  lot  of  notes  for  Billy  on  some 
classical  subject,  and  on  the  back  of  one  of 
the  sheets  was  a  love  sonnet  —  real  tip  top 
poetry,  Shakespearian  and  all  that — in  the 
rough,  interlined  and  erased,  you  know.  It 
was  all  about  flowers  and  stars.  Perhaps  I 
oughtn't  to  tell  it,  but  FU  bet  he's  confided  in 
you.  He  thinks  the  world  and  all  of  your 
judgment.  Is  she  good  enough  for  old  Luke.^ 
Do  you  know  her.'*" 

"Oh  slightly,"  said  Mrs.   Kent  sweeping 


174      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

up  the  cards  and  beginning  to  shuffle  them. 
"I  think  she'll  make  him  happy,  but  I  must 
not  betray  a  confidence." 

^'That's  all  right,"  said  Angus  whose 
spirits  had  suddenly  risen,  "I'll  keep  it  dark." 
To  himself  he  was  saying  that  with  Luke 
Strange  out  of  the  field,  and  Billy  West  safely 
anchored  at  College,  he  could  easily  duplicate 
that  lost  ring,  and  with  it  make  a  straight 
dash  for  the  goal. 

At  this  very  moment,  in  the  cushiony  cor- 
ner beneath  the  sheltering  curve  of  the  stair- 
case, quite  unmoved  by  the  tender  sentiment 
of  Luke's  song,  those  birds  of  a  feather.  Nixie 
Donovan  and  Billy  West,  were  putting  two 
and  two  together  with  results  destined  to  be 
far  reaching. 

"Why  is  Mr.  Carmichael  rushing  Mrs. 
Kent  to  such  a  degree,  will  you  please  inform 
me?"  Nixie  extended  a  slender  red-slippered 
foot,  and  crossing  her  knees,  set  in  motion  a 
succession  of  gauzy  black  frills  as  she  leaned 
forward,  on  her  folded  arms,  and  looked  Mr. 
West  in   the  eyes.     "What's   up?"  she  de- 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      175 

manded.    "What  causes  that  anxious  expres- 
sion on  his  youthful  countenance?" 

Billy  returned  the  gaze  admiringly.  Say, 
what  you  would,  Nixie  was  first-rate  fun. 
"Oh  I  suppose  he's  sorry  to  be  leaving  so 


soon." 


"It  is  no  such  simple  sorrow  as  that. 
Maybe  he's  sorry  he  isn't  leaving  sooner. 
But  honest,  now,  was  that  a  genuine  accident 
this  afternoon?" 

"If  you  had  heard  the  tire  explode  you'd 
have  thought  so,  but  why  do  you  ask?" 

"Oh  never  mind,  I  was  just  wondering." 

Mr.  West  was  silent  for  a  moment  with  the 
air  of  one  who  looks  before  he  leaps,  then  he 
said:  "Cross  your  heart  and  swear  you'll 
never  tell  if  I  show  you  something?" 

Nixie  nodded,  never  removing  her  eyes 
from  his  face,  keeping  the  frills  in  motion 
with  an  impatient  foot. 

With  all  the  deliberation  imaginable,  Billy 
produced  from  an  inner  pocket  the  star 
sapphire.     "That's  the  row,"  he  said  briefly. 

Nixie  sat  up,  her  eyes  flashing.     "Where 


176      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

did  you  get  it?"  she  demanded.  "Did 
Jane " 

"Oh  never  you  mind  where  I  got  it;  I've 
got  it  all  right  —  that  is  the  point.'* 

Clasping  her  hands  behind  her  head,  Nixie 
lay  back  on  the  cushions,  the  frills  fluttered 
scornfully.  "You  don't  fool  me,  my  friend," 
she  said,  giving  a  special  emphasis  to  each 
word.  "You  didn't  get  it  from  Jane  —  not 
on  your  birthday!" 

"Well  who  said  I  did?"  asked  Billy,  and 
then,  for  he  was  dying  to  share  his  villainy, 
he  added,  "  I  found  it.  Gus  had  it  —  dropped 
it  out  in  the  auto  when  the  tire  blew  up.  I 
found  it.     Don't  you  see?" 

"See?  —  rather!  And  that's  what's  the 
matter  with  him?" 

"Yes,  he  feels  pretty  sore,  but  mum's  the 
word.  Gus  has  always  had  things  too  much 
his  own  way.  A  little  adversity  is  good  for 
him." 

"I  see,  and  he  feels  so  bad  he  might  just 
as  well  feel  worse!"  Nixie  nodded,  and  bring- 
ing her  mischievous  face  very  close  to  Billy's 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      177 

she  said,  coaxingly,  "  I'll  tell  you  what,  you 
let  me  have  that  ring  just  for  to-night.  I'll 
give  it  back  in  the  morning." 

"He  hesitated.     You  won't  spoil  the  fun."*" 

"Me!  spoil  the  fun.?"  With  tilted  chin  and 
oblique  glance  through  drooping  lids,  she 
added,  "Nixie!" 

"You  don't  think  he  has  said  anything  — 
'fessed  up,  so  to  speak.'"'  asked  Nixie,  after 
the  ring  had  changed  hands. 

"You  bet  he  hasn't.  He  hasn't  had  a 
chance.  What's  more  he  is  anxious  not  to 
have  one.  Gus  is  fencing  for  time  as  sure 
as  you  live.  At  least  that  is  the  way  it  looks 
to  me." 

"Ah!"  Nixie  said,  turning  the  ring  so 
that  only  an  innocent  gold  band  was  visible. 
"Then  he  shall  have  a  chance.  You  and  I 
must  see  to  it.     He  must  tell  her  he's  lost  it, 

and  then "  she  waved    the    hand    that 

wore  the  ring.     "Don't  you  see.?" 

Billy  surrendered  himself  to  her  leadership, 
and  Nixie  swiftly  outlined  a  plan  of  procedure 
the  details  of  which  are  immaterial  except 


178      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

that  the  plotters  presently  separated,  Mr. 
West  entering  the  drawing  room  and  Nixie 
strolling  toward  the  library. 

The  sounds  of  laughter  and  argument  were 
shortly  heard  in  the  drawing  room,  and  then 
Mr.  Strange,  most  innocent  of  conspirators, 
passed  through  the  hall  and  summoned  Mrs. 
Kent.  "You  are  wanted  to  settle  a  momen- 
tous question,  please,"  he  said,  and  led  her 
away. 

Before  Angus  quite  knew  how  it  happened, 
before  he  could  take  his  elbows  from  the  table, 
he  was  confronted  on  the  other  side  of  it  by 
an  accusing  angel.  Drawn  to  her  full  height, 
the  whiteness  of  her  shoulders  emphasized 
by  the  gauzy  blackness  of  her  frock,  with 
those  daring  touches  of  red,  her  lips  curling, 
her    eyes    sparkling,    stood    Miss    Donovan. 

"Just  a  moment  please,  Mr.  Carmichael. 
I  must  ask  for  some  explanation  of  your  very 
singular  behaviour.  Your  avoidance  of  me  is 
so  marked " 

Almost  paralyzed  with  surprised  embarrass- 
ment, Angus  had  got  to  his  feet,  "I  am  —  I 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      179 

thought  —  surely  you  must  understand '* 

he  stammered. 

"Certainly  I  understand  now,  Mr.  Car- 
michael.  I  may  be  stupid  at  times,  but  I 
wake  up  eventually.  I'm  young  but  I'm 
learning.  One  experience  of  being  made  a 
cat's  paw  is  quite  enough,  thank  you." 

"Gracious  Heavens,  Miss  Nixie!  I  haven't 
the  least  idea  what  you  mean."  Poor  Angus 
put  his  hand  to  his  bewildered  brow. 

As  Nixie  had  no  idea  herself  what  she  meant 
but  was  making  it  up  as  she  went  along, 
she  declined  to  elucidate.  She  twisted  her 
bracelet  and  looked  down,  not  unmindful 
of  the  effect  of  curling  lashes  against  a  velvet 
cheek.  "Pray  don't  attempt  to  explain,  Mr. 
Carmichael"  (as  if  he  had  made  any  attempt 
—  or  as  if  she  had  not  insisted  upon  it  a 
moment  before),  "it  is  useless.  No,  not 
a  word,  I  simply  cannot  listen."  She  paused 
and  then  looked  with  startled  eyes  over  her 
shoulder  at  Jane.  Billy  had  played  up  to 
her  in  a  masterly  way. 

Angus  also  stared  at  Jane  vacantly. 


i8o      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  Mr.   West  said. 

"  But  I  fear  I  am  de  trop,''^  Jane  began. 

"Indeed  you  are  not,  my  dearest  child," 
cried  Nixie.  "You  simply  relieve  an  awk- 
ward situation.  Angus  —  Mr.  Carmichael, 
has  something  to  tell  you.  He  was  just  saying 
he  had  not  been  able  to  get  a  word  with  you 
all  evening.  So  now  I'll  give  him  a  chance." 
And  dropping  a  kiss  on  Jane's  cheek  this 
arch  conspirator  fled. 

But  it  is  often  the  fate  of  the  wicked  to 
over-reach  themselves.  Upon  both  Jane  and 
Angus  those  vanishing  shoulders  left  an  im- 
pression of  impish  glee,  which  was  further 
confirmed  by  a  sound  of  stifled  merriment 
from  the  hall  where  the  plotters  had  presum- 
ably met. 

Jane  and  Angus  looked  at  each  other  and 
suddenly  the  game  took  a  new  turn.  It  was 
the  two  of  them  now  against  Nixie  and  Billy. 
Jane's  vague,  uncomfortable  suspicions  fell 
away  before  the  candour  of  Mr.  Carmichael's 
entreating  eyes. 

"Please,  Miss  Jane,  don't   go"  —  for  she 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      i8i 

had  rather  the  look  of  a  bird  poised  for  flight, 
—  "I  don't  know  what  Miss  Donovan  meant 
by  what  she  was  saying  to  me,  nor  what  she 
and  Billy  West  are  up  to,  but  it  is  true  I  do 
want  to  talk  with  you  the  worst  in  the  world, 
though  I  have  a  dreadful  confession  to  make." 

Jane,  who  had  all  day  been  feeling  remorse- 
fully conscious  for  her  connivance  in  Nixie's 
heartless  scheme,  told  herself  anew  that 
she  hated  practical  jokes,  they  weren't  fair; 
and  Nixie  was  so  abominably  clever!  "A 
confession!"  she  echoed,  wondering  if  it  had 
to  do  with  that  broken  engagement. 

Her  sympathies  were  enlisted  for  Angus 
before  he  had  spoken  a  word.  There  was 
something  irresistible  in  the  elaborate  care 
with  which  he  was  arranging  the  cushions 
In  one  corner  of  the  davenport  for  her,  and 
she  accepted  graciously  the  downy  nook  and 
the  foot  stool,  and  waited  while  he  pushed 
forward  a  high-backed  chair  for  himself, 
directly  In  front  of  her. 

Sincere  concern  was  written  on  Angus's 
face,  besides  he  was  a  little  white  and  worn, 


1 82       A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

for  it  will  be  remembered  he  had  risen  from 
a  couch  of  real  suffering  to  take  his  part  in 
the  round  of  unintermittent  gaieties  of  the 
past  week.  It  pleaded  for  him  as,  with  that 
boyish  and  engaging  frankness  which  was  his 
greatest  charm,  he  told  her  of  the  loss  of  the 
ring. 

"When  or  how  it  happened  I  can't  tell.  I 
only  know  that  when  I  suddenly  thought  of 
it,  it  was  gone.  I  shall  find  it  again.  I  know 
I  shall.  I  have  advertised,  and  I  will  have 
the  pawnshops  watched.     Oh  I  shall  find  it." 

"If  that  is  all,  you  need  not  mind  in  the 
least,"  answered  Jane  cordially.  "Why  if  it 
never  turns  up  I  will  not  care.  Indeed  I 
mean  it.  It  was  just  a  curio.  I  only  wore 
it  for  fun." 

"It  is  heavenly  good  of  you  to  say  so,  but 
you  shall  have  it  back,"  Angus  insisted  reck- 
lessly. "For  you  see,  even  if  you  are  honest 
in  saying  you  don't  care  for  the  ring  — 
I  mean  —  of  course  you  are  —  but  —  well 
what  I  want  to  say  is  that  anyhow  /  care. 
You  see  it  meant  everything  to  me,  because 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      183 

it  belonged  to  you  —  you  had  worn  it.  Why 
if  it  had  been  pure  brass  it  would  have  been 
the  same  to  me." 

"Or  one  of  those  rheumatic  rings  that  Mrs. 
Binkins  wears?"  suggested  Jane. 

"Please  now,  don't  make  fun.  I  feel 
awfully  serious  to-night.  It's  my  last  chance 
for  goodness  knows  how  long.  Couldn't 
you  say  just  one  reassuring  word  to  me?'* 

"What  do  you  want  me  to  say,"  asked 
Jane  with  a  bewitching  half  smile.  Then 
alarmed  at  her  own  temerity  she  extended  her 
hand  upon  which  shone  several  handsome 
rings  and  added  just  for  something  to  say, 
"You  see  I'd  never  miss  it." 

That  Mr.  Carmichael  was  equal  to  the 
occasion  is  sufficient.  When  Jane  recovered 
her  hand  her  cheeks  rivalled  the  crimson  of 
the  cushions.  But  she  was  laughing  and 
had  not  succeeded,  evidently,  'in  refuting 
Angus's  contention  that  two  more  rings  were 
needed. 

When  in  the  opinion  of  Nixie  and  Billy 
this  interview  had  lasted  long  enough,  and 


i84      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

they  invaded  the  library,  the  davenport  and 
the    high    backed    chair    were    untenanted. 

"They  have  eloped/'  said  Billy. 

But  a  search  of  the  premises  eventually 
revealed  them  sitting  side  by  side  on  the 
table  in  the  butler's  pantry,  an  open  cake  box 
between  them. 

"You  haven't  eaten  all  that  lovely  cake?" 
cried  Nixie.  "Mrs.  Kent  promised  me  a  big 
slice  for  my  lunch  to-morrow." 

"Why  didn't  you  come  when  we  called 
you.'*"  asked  Angus,  serenely  contemplating 
the  large  and  nutty  slice  he  held. 

"Oh  yes,"  said  Billy,  "it's  your  inning 
now,  but  wait." 

"They  can't  have  eaten  it  all,"  said  Mrs. 
Kent,  entering  the  swinging  door,  followed  by 
Mr.  Strange.  "But  why  not  have  something 
more  substantial.''  Here  is  the  chafing  dish 
Mr.  West;  we  all  know  what  an  adept  you 
are.  Come  let's  see  what  Jeremiah  has  left 
in  the  store  room." 

And  so  their  last  evening  in  Kentucky  ended 
merrily  with   an   informal  midnight  supper. 


CHAPTER   XIV 

Tells  of  Mrs.  Binkins^s  efforts  to  speed  the 
parting  guests,  and  of  the  cloud  no 
larger  than  a  girl's  hand,  that  rises 
upon  our  heroes  horizon 

THEY  won't  make  it,  they  ain't  even 
dressed  yet,  and  the  expressman  a 
swearin'  round  in  the  entry  this  half  hour 
past,"  complained  Mrs.  Binkins  to  Mr, 
Strange  as  she  panted  up  the  steps  with  an 
overcoat  and  umbrella  and  two  caps  in  her 
hands. 

"Give  the  traps  to  me,"  said  the  Rev. 
Luke  as,  watch  in  hand,  he  stepped  cautiously 
over  a  dressing-case  in  the  doorway  and  sur- 
veyed the  chaotic  bedroom  of  his  two  guests. 

"Look  here,  do  you  two  fellows  intend  to 
make  that  7.30  train  or  have  you  decided  to 
stay  over?" 

"Luke  here,  Luke  there,  Luke  everywhere!" 

i8s 


i86      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

Angus  warbled  in  a  thrilling  crescendo  from 
his  perch  on  the  dresser. 

"Don't  mind  him,"  Billy  cut  in,  "he's  sing- 
ing Christmas  carols  because  he's  got  his  own 
rags  stowed  away.  What  /  want,  my  dear 
sir,  is  not  advice,  but  assistance." 

"Very  well,"  said  Mr.  Strange,  drawing 
something  from  behind  the  door.  "Here's 
a  box  Angus,  which  I  imagine  should  have 
gone  at  the  bottom  somewhere." 

"Oh,  Glory!"  groaned  Billy.  "That's 
mine.  Say,  would  you  mind  standing  on 
this  suit  case  while  I  lock  it.'*  I  am  going 
to  fight  it  out  on  this  line  if  it  takes  all 
summer." 

"You  should  acquire  the  art  of  packing 
from  me,  my  son,"  said  Angus,  cheerfully 
surveying  his  own  strapped  boxes.  "I  make 
a  specialty  of  suit  cases." 

"Huh,"  snorted  Billy,  "you  packed  all 
the  smooth  things  and  dumped  all  the  knotty, 
lumpy  ones  over  here  on  me.  That's  why 
the  blooming  thing  won't  close." 

He  seized  the  suit  case  by  its  calfskin  back 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      187 

and  showered  forth  a  miscellaneous  collection 
of  wearing  apparel. 

"Dear,  dear!"  cried  Mrs.  Binkins  despair- 
ingly from  the  doorway.  "That's  the  third 
time  Mr.  West  has  dumped  out  that  there 
valise,  and  the  expressman  says  he  ain't  going 
to  wait  another  minute!" 

"Billy,"  said  the  Rev.  Mr.  Strange,  and 
he  spoke  as  one  with  authority,  "hand  me 
that  box,  now  the  other  one,  now  those  shirts." 
And  almost  before  one  could  realize  it,  the 
suit  cases  were  travelling  through  the  hall 
on  the  shoulders  of  the  expressman. 

"Sorry  I'm  not  going  back  with  you," 
said  Mr.  Strange  to  his  guests.  "I'll  be 
detained  here  a  day  or  two  longer." 

"Don't  die  of  the  blues  without  us," 
cautioned  Angus.  "Allow  me  to  present 
you  with  a  souvenir  of  my  enduring  regard." 
He  waved  a  hand  at  his  cane  standing  in  the 
corner.  "I  relinquish  all  right,  title  and 
interest  therein." 

"What's  this?"  asked  Billy  drawing  forth 
from  the  dresser  a  remarkable  tie  upon  whose 


i88      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

background  of  brilliant  blue,  large  white 
polka  dots  disported  themselves. 

Angus  glanced  furtively  toward  the  door. 

"Hush!  The  old  lady  gave  it  to  me.  I 
admired  her  scarf,  said  I  adored  spots,  and 
this  was  the  result!" 

"  Philandering  as  usual,"  said  Billy.  "  What 
are  you  going  to  do  with  it?" 

"Give  it  to  Luke,"  said  Angus.  "You'll 
get  rid  of  it  somehow,  won't  you?  Only 
don't  let  her  see  it.  I  wouldn't  hurt  her 
feelings  for  a  farm." 

"Whose  farm?"  asked  Billy,  struggling 
into  his  coat. 

Mr.  Strange,  always  considerate,  wrapped 
the  tie  in  a  bit  of  paper  and  laid  it  on  the  hall 
table. 

"Me  Lord,  the  carriage  waits,"  announced 
Billy  from  the  window,  and  five  minutes 
later  the  whole  party,  including  the  girls 
from  next  door,  were  on  their  way  to  the 
Union  Station. 

"They  were  right  sweet  young  gentlemen,'* 
commented  Mrs.  Binkins,  a  little  later,  "but 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      189 

mighty  disorderly.  Binkins  himself  couldn't 
beat  'em.  It'll  be  like  cleaning  up  after  a 
cyclone." 

She  sighed  as  she  mounted  the  stairs  and 
prepared  to  ascertain  the  exact  extent  of 
the  damage.  The  first  thing  that  caught  her 
eye  was  Mr.  Carmichael's  cane.  "Poor 
young  man!  He  has  forgotten  it!"  With 
nervous  fingers  Mrs.  Binkins  hastily  pinned 
on  her  new  velvet  hat,  a  "  Merry  Widow,"  of 
generous  proportions,  laden  with  a  purple 
harvest  of  plumes.  Mike  Fahey  and  Mr. 
Carmichael  were  jointly  responsible  for  this 
headpiece,  the  one  having  aroused  a  renewed 
interest  in  fashionable  attire,  the  other  having 
furnished  the  means  wherewith  to  gratify  it. 

The  Merry  Widow  and  Mrs.  Binkins 
rushed  excitedly  down  the  stairs.  On  the 
hall  table  was  discovered  a  small  parcel  also 
overlooked  by  the  departing  guests. 

Parcel  and  cane  in  hand,  Mrs.  Binkins 
dashed  into  the  street,  only  to  see  her  car 
disappearing  around  the  corner. 

Across    the    street     an  old    negro    stood 


igo       A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

in  livery  beside  the  open  door  of  a  touring 
car. 

Mrs.  Binkins  did  not  hesitate.  "Jim 
Johnson,"  she  said  descending  upon  him, 
"you've  got  to  take  me  down  to  the  Union 
Station.  Mr.  Meeks  won't  be  ready  for  half 
an  hour,  the  cook  has  just  been  over  home  to 
borrow  some  eggs  for  his  breakfast.  Hurry 
up  quick!  it  won't  take  you  but  a  little  while." 

With  Jim  the  command  of  a  white  lady, 
any  white  lady,  meant  unquestioning  obe- 
dience. It  was  but  a  few  minutes  before  he 
brought  his  car  to  a  stand  at  the  Union 
Station,  and  Mrs.  Binkins  with  her  hat  awry 
and  her  hair  flying,  scrambled  out  and  dashed 
for  the  platform. 

In  the  meanwhile  the  five  young  people 
had  had  time  to  disintegrate  into  three  divi- 
sions, two  conspirators,  two  victims,  and 
one  mediator  in  the  person  of  the  Rev.  Luke 
Strange. 

The  irrepressible  gaiety  of  Angus,  due  to 
his  propitious  interview  with  Jane  on  the 
previous  evening,  called  for  some  action  on 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      191 

the  part  of  Billy,  while  Nixie,  by  nature  a 
conspirator,  needed  no  special  incentive. 
Moreover,  Mr.  Carmichael  and  Jane  were 
openly  demonstrating  the  fact  that  two  and 
three  do  not  always  make  five,  and  in  those 
cases  where  two  and  three  make  Two  — 
and  three  more  —  the  lesser  three,  the  after- 
thought conceded  to  mathematics,  are  apt 
to  resent  the  capitalization. 

"Gus  is  altogether  too  set  up  about  some- 
thing," whispered  Heels  to  Nixie.  "It's 
disgraceful  to  speed  the  parting  host  with  such 
a  joyful  countenance.  When  are  you  going 
to  get  busy  with  that  ring  and  make  him 
realize  that  life  is  not  all  ice  cream  and  wed- 
ding cake?" 

"Don't  you  worry,"  said  Nixie.  "I  am 
saving  it  for  the  final  curtain." 

Angus  and  Jane  were  too  preoccupied  to 
mark  the  import  of  this  whispered  conference, 
and  it  was  not  until  Nixie  Donovan  called 
out  to  Angus,  that  they  were  even  aware  of 
their  presence. 

"You'll  get  me  a    copy  of   *Life'   won't 


192      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

you,  Mr.  Carmichael?  Mr.  West  has  gone 
to  look  after  the  baggage.  I  hate  men  who 
always  have  to  look  after  things.  No,  that's 
the  December  number,  I  want  the  new  one. 
Let's  go  over  to  the  news  stand." 

While  the  search  was  being  made,  Heels 
captured  Jane  and  under  pretense  of  not 
being  able  to  find  Miss  Donovan's  trunk, 
managed  to  keep  her  several  minutes  in  the 
baggage  room. 

"It's  time  to  get  aboard,"  called  Luke 
Strange,  briskly.  "Billy,  you  bring  Miss 
Donovan's  grip,  I'll  call  her." 

But  after  he  had  found  her,  and  succeeded 
in  getting  her  and  Heels  aboard,  he  discovered 
that  Angus  was  missing. 

That  young  gentleman  had  recaptured 
Jane  Kent,  and  was  valiantly  trying  to  re- 
deem the  time  lost.  They  stood  close  together 
before  the  closed  iron  gate  that  led  to  the 
platform,  presenting  to  observers  from  the 
rear,  an  appearance  of  absorbed  interest 
in  the  trackway  that  stretched  before  them 
on  the  other  side  of  the  grating. 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE       193 

"Easter!  Lord,  that's  a  long  time  off!" 
Angus  was  saying,  with  eyes  so  eloquent  that 
Jane  was  afraid  to  trust  hers  to  an  encounter. 
"And  I'll  bring  a  star  sapphire  like  yours, 
if  I  have  to  go  to  India  for  it!" 

"Don't  bother  about  the  ring,  please!" 
Jane's  eyes  as  she  lifted  them  reflected  the 
light  in  his.  "And  as  to  your  coming  down 
at  Easter  —  well  —  that  depends." 

"Depends?  It  must  not  depend!  —  Jane 
—  dearest  —  why  should  it  depend  .f*" 

"I  only  mean  that  it  depends  — on  you!" 

Angus  seized  her  small  brown-gloved  hand 
as  a  slow  warning  clang  took  precedence  of 
all  other  noises.  Together  they  ran  past  the 
row  of  iron  gateways  and  through  Number  Six. 

Nixie's  plumed  head,  and  Billy's  cropped 
one  leaned  from  a  window  in  the  furthest 
coach,  below  which  stood  Mr.  Strange. 

Angus  scrambled  to  the  platform  of  the 
nearest  car. 

"Good-bye  —  Jane."  Angus  held  her  eyes 
at  last. 

"Good-bye  —  Angus." 


194      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

At  that  moment  there  was  a  commotion 
at  gate  Number  Six.  Mrs.  Binkins,  clutching 
a  cane  and  waving  a  spotted  necktie,  pursued 
by  a  loping  guard,  sprinted  down  the  plat- 
form, with  a  speed  as  unexpected  as  that  of  a 
dark  horse  who  wins  the  Derby. 

With  a  mighty  effort  she  reached  Angus 
in  time  to  pass  his  possessions  through  the 
open  window,  whereupon  her  duty  done, 
she  turned  her  attention  to  her  disordered 
toilet. 

Jane  Kent,  shaken  with  laughter,  turned 
to  say  good-bye  to  Nixie  and  Heels  who 
leaned  from  the  window  of  the  coach  that 
was  now  moving  past  her. 

"Auf  wiedersehn,"  she  said,  smiling  up  at 
them,  and  then  her  smile  suddenly  faded. 
On  the  plump  white  hand  which  Nixie 
Donovan  roguishly  extended  to  her,  blazed 
her  own  star  sapphire! 

Angus  Carmichael,  far  ahead,  waved  ener- 
getically, but  his  only  response  was  from 
Luke  Strange.  There  was  something  about 
a  certain  slender,  girlish,  tailor-made  back, 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      195 

which,  even  from  that  distance,  gave  him  the 
uneasy  impression  of  having  turned  suddenly 
rigid,  indifferent,  uncompromising.  Angus 
did  not  suspect  it,  but  a  cloud  not  larger 
than  a  girl's  hand  had  risen  above  his  horizon. 


CHAPTER  XV 

Showing  how  Angus  Carmichael  languished 
through  the  spring  term,  and  how  Billy 
West  resorted  to  stratagem  in  the  hope 
of  arousing  his  dormant  ambition 

"  Mr.  Angus  Carmichael, 
If  time  hangs  on  your  hand, 
Is  there  no  math,  for  you  to  work, 
Nor  any  Greek  to  understand.'' 

"Go  train  your  mind  to  calculus, 
Go  train  your  soul  to  Grecian  woe; 
Pray  heaven  that  you  may  not  flunk, 
And  let  the  lovely  lady  go." 

THAT,"  said  Mr.  William  West  to 
Mr.  Angus  Carmichael,  several  weeks 
later,  as  they  sat  in  their  little  sitting  room 
at  college,  "  is  my  own  composition.  I  wrote 
it  myself,  and  I  think  it  is  rather  tidy." 

"I  don't  think  much  of  it,"  said  Angus. 
"I  have  a  cousin  that  can  write  all  'round 

that.     She  sent  an  elegy  on  Byron  to  Scrilv 

196 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE       197 

bier's  magazine,  and  they  sent  it  back,  saying, 
'This  poem  has  very  nice  sentiment.  Thank 
you. '    Cousin  Sue  has  written  six  novels " 

"It  were  my  father  that  were  hung," 
murmured  Billy  reminiscently. 

"How  does  that  come  in?"  demanded 
Angus. 

Heels  sighed.  "The  literary  allusion,  my 
good  man,  is  something  that  ought  not  to  be 
explained.  If  you  didn't  scorn  to  read  a 
book  occasionally  you  wouldn't  be  so  rusty." 

"Books  be  hanged!"  said  Angus  as  he  got 
up  crossly,  banged  the  door  and  went  tramp- 
ing down  the  corridor. 

"He'll  flunk,"  said  Billy  with  conviction, 
blowing  rings  of  smoke  into  the  air.  "He'll 
moon  around,  and  go  off  walking  by  himself 
from  now  till  midnight,  cut  Greek,  and  get 
farther  behind  than  ever." 

It  was  late  in  the  month  of  January,  and 
college,  to  Carmichael's  thinking,  if  one  judged 
from  his  actions,  was  not  only  stale  and  flat 
but  exceedingly  and  heavily  unprofitable. 
For  what  good  was  it  to  be  grinding  away  at 


198      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

Greek  tragedy,  (taken  only  to  please  one's 
parents)  to  find  that  all  the  classic  letters  spelt 
J-A-N-E? 

Or  of  what  value  was  it  to  stare  for  full 
two  hours  at  a  problem  in  celestial  mechanics 
and  to  conclude  one's  study  with  the  following 
query:  Given,  on  the  part  of  Jane,  a  certain 
amount  of  professed  interest  in  one  Angus 
Carmichael  up  to  the  moment  of  parting  at 
the  Louisville  Union  Station.  Why  then 
should  Jane's  answers  to  Angus's  outpourings 
upon  letter  paper  consist  of  one  chilly  little 
note,  and  what  should  the  said  Carmichael 
read  between  the  lines  of  this  turn-down? 

To  these  questions,  so  far,  there  was  no 
least  suggestion  of  an  answer,  from  the  Fates, 
from  Carmichael  himself,  or  even  from  the 
cheerful  and  practical  Billy  West. 

Yet  it  was  Billy  West  who,  all  unconsciously, 
was  responsible  for  this  state  of  affairs. 

When  he  found  himself  back  at  Yale  with 
that  star  sapphire  in  his  possession,  he  dis- 
covered that  the  affair  had  assumed  entirely 
too  serious  a  turn  for  Angus  to  regard  it  as 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      199 

a  joke,  and  that,  after  all,  the  explanation  and 
the  return  of  the  ring  would  best  come  from 
Nixie  Donovan  to  Jane  Kent.  He  therefore 
sent  a  letter  to  this  effect,  with  the  ring  in  a 
registered  box,  urging  Nixie  to  return  it  at 
once  to  Jane  with  their  joint  confession  and 
apologies,  thus  clearing  Angus  completely 
without  involving  him  in  the  matter. 

But  it  chanced  that  this  time  the  father  of 
Miss  Donovan  became  an  actual,  not  a  mythi- 
cal factor,  in  her  affairs.  The  letter  bearing 
the  New  Haven  post  mark  reached  Summit 
on  the  6th  day  of  January,  that  being  the 
same  day  when  Miss  Donovan  herself,  bird 
of  passage  that  she  was,  sailed  for  Bermuda 
with  an  ailing  and  ancient  relative.  It  took 
but  a  moment  for  her  father,  reviewing  her 
mail  on  the  hall  table  that  evening,  to  draw 
a  line  through  "  Summit "  and  substitute 
"  Bermuda."  Nor  was  it  with  any  espionage 
upon  his  child  that  the  postmark  and  the 
handwriting  chanced  to  leave  an  impress 
on  his  mind.  Hitherto  he  had  asked  for  but 
one  thing  at  Nixie's  hands — his  only  demand 


200      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

was  perfect  confidence  between  herself  and 
him. 

But  when  the  next  day's  mail  brought  a 
tiny  registered  box  for  Nixie,  bearing  this 
same  writing  and  mark,  for  which  package 
he  had  to  sign,  he  quietly  broke  the  seal 
and  cut  the  string.  Then  with  equal  quiet, 
he  put  the  ring  away  in  his  private  box  — 
and  sat  down  and  wrote  to  Nixie. 

In  the  meanwhile  it  was  coming  on  to 
February  at  Yale,  and,  in  February  at  Yale,  if 
Euripides  continues  to  spell  J-A-N-E  it  means 
a  failure  in  a  major  subject. 

To  this  fact,  as  continually  pointed  out 
by  his  room-mate,  Carmichael  was  languidly 
indifferent.  His  chief  concern,  since  the 
notable  Christmas  pilgrimage  to  Kentucky, 
was  with  the  fact  that  Jane's  only  note 
was  chill  and  brief  —  so  chill  and  so  brief 
that  if  he  endeavoured  to  read  between  the 
lines  he  read  as  follows:  "No,  I  do  not  care 
for  you  at  all.  I  am  sorry,  but  I  never  have, 
and  of  course  I  never  shall.  No,  it's  quite 
impossible.     I'm  sorry,   but  indeed   I   can't 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      201 

think  of  it."  What  he  wished  to  read,  on 
the  contrary,  was  written  in  the  colours  of 
hope  —  oh,  azure  and  April-green  and  rose!  — 
and  though  it  said  "I  care,"  it  said  it  most 
exquisitely  and  in  lines  for  no  other  eyes  than 
his  own. 

This  note,  and  the  only  other  missive  he  had 
ever  had  from  her,  he  kept  by  themselves  in 
the  only  drawer  of  his  desk  that  boasted  an 
unlost  key.  From  time  to  time  he  took 
them  out  and  read  them,  then  read  them 
again.  He  touched  them  as  he  might  have 
touched  flowers,  with  fingers  both  caressing 
and  reverent. 

All  this,  however,  was  when  Billy  West  was 
out  of  the  way.  It  was  merely  by  his  friend's 
settled  melancholy  and  occasional  cynical 
comments  on  life  in  general  that  that  young 
gentleman  was  able  to  tell  how  the  wind  was 
blowing. 

"My  theory,"  said  Angus  one  evening  — 
and  he  said  it  with  an  air  of  fine  indifference, 
and  with  puifs  of  an  ostentatious  pipe  —  "my 
theory,  Heels,  is  that  a  young  man  on  the 


202      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

horizon  of  a  young  woman's  existence  is  not 
so  large  a  speck  as  he  thinks  he  is." 

"As  for  instance?"  said  Billy. 

"There  is  no  instance  necessary  (puff), 
unless  indeed  a  person  be  a  rank  materialist 
(puff),  such  as  the  gentleman  from  Boston, 
(puff,  puff),  and  he  can  supply  his  own  in- 
stances." 

"Well,  of  course,"  said  Billy,  "there  are 
specks   and   specks,   but  when  a  girl  writes 

cordially  and  genially  to  a  speck "     He 

paused;  then  he  went  on.  He  was  solicitous 
for  Angus,  but  the  star  of  Billy's  nativity  was 
a  star  that  presaged  mirth. 

"When  such  a  girl  writes,"  he  repeated, 
"writes  to  a  man  —  er  —  well,  rather  often 
— the  man  don't  feel  so  speckish  as  he  might." 

Angus  turned  his  sofa  pillow  and  punched 
it.  He  had  no  feeling  against  it,  but  it  was 
necessary  at  that  moment  to  punch  some- 
thing and  punch  it  thoroughly.  So  Jane  was 
writing  to  Billy!  Or,  perhaps  she  was  writing 
to  Luke  Strange!  He  turned  the  pillow 
again,  adjusted  it  badly,  and  rose,  as  if  weary 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      203 

alike  of  pillow  and  discussions.  He  disdained 
however,  to  be  ungenerous.  If  she  wrote, 
if  they  wrote  —  Jane  or  Billy  or  Luke 
Strange  or  all  three  together  —  why,  then, 
they  wrote.  Only  —  only  —  it  was  not 
for  such  as  Jane  to  be  fickle.  Other  people 
(Nixie,  for  example),  might  turn  and  twist  and 
lead  one  a  dance  to  the  moon.    But  Jane 

"You  didn't  hear  me,  did  you?"  asked 
Heels  at  this  point.  "I  said  that  to-day  was 
Friday  and  to-morrow  would  be  Saturday." 

"A  profound  observation,"  said  Mr. 
Strange,  who  was  spending  an  hour  of  the 
evening  with  them,  enshrined  in  their  best 
arm-chair.  He  was  there,  in  fact,  by  appoint- 
ment, and  at  the  request  and  arrangement  of 
Mr.  West.  It  was  his  part,  duly  defined,  to 
warmly  and  stoutly  second,  aid,  and  abet, 
any  proposition  put  forth  on  this  occasion 
by  the  said  Mr.  West,  for  the  welfare  of  their 
young  friend,  Mr.  Carmichael. 

"And  talking  of  to-morrow  being  Saturday," 
said  Mr.  West,  "and  apropos  of  specks  on 
the  horizon  of  young  ladies:  Mr.  Strange,  are 


204      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

you  aware  that  you  and  Gus  and  I  are  going 
up  to  Wellesley  to-morrow,  for  the  afternoon  ? 
We  are  going  by  way  of  an  innocent  diver- 
sion." 

"Don't  mind  him,"  said  Angus,  "he  merely 
thinks  he  said  it.  He's  very  mild,  and  he 
really    has    lucid    moments,    Mr.    Strange." 

"We  are  going,"  said  Billy,  imperturbably, 
to  visit  three  beautiful  young  ladies  — Alicia, 
Amanthus,  and  Almira." 

"  *Call  me  Daphne,  call  me  Chloris, '  " 
murmured  the  visitor.  "Are  they — are  these 
young  ladies  typical  of  their  institution.'*" 

"Typical  of  the  college  output.^  Not  on 
your  life !  I  mean  —  ah  —  certainly,  quite 
typical." 

It  was,  perhaps,  by  intuition  that  the 
Reverend  Luke  Strange  could  so  enter  into 
the  shortcomings  of  Carmichael  with  regard 
to  Greek  tragedy  and  the  allied  subjects.  Or, 
being  an  older  man,  it  may  have  been  by 
reason  of  former  personal  and  vivid  expe- 
riences of  his  own,  similar  in  nature  and  in 
results. 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      205 

He  seemed  also  ably  to  divine  the  purpose 
of  Billy  West  and  to  grasp  the  full  significance 
of  Alicia,  Amanthus,  and  Almira.  Just  what 
the  scheme  was  to  be,  he  did  not  know,  but 
that  it  had  to  do  with  awakening  the  dormant 
ambition  of  a  lovesick  swain,  and  tiding  him 
over  the  coming  examinations,  he  felt  confi- 
dent. 

At  all  events,  Mr.  Strange  smiled  blandly 
and  accepted  the  invitation  promptly.  He 
would  do  his  part — there  was  no  doubt  as  to 
that — as  ably  as,  on  recent  by-gone  occasions, 
he  had  circumvented  two  youths  en  route, 
mastered  the  intricacies  of  the  barn  dance  in 
five  minutes,  and  kept  an  engagement  under 
serious  difficulties. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

Tells  how  three  young  ladies,  products  of  culture, 
education  and  the  higher  life,  bring 
Mr.  Carmichael  to  a  realization  of  his 
awful  deficiencies  in  these  branches  and 
send  him  back  aroused  to  the  nearness 
of  exams 

TT  is  all  so  intensely  beautiful,"  said  Alicia 
-*-  to  Angus,  "that  I  feel  I  can  hardly  bear  it. 
My  spirit  is  actually  weighted  down  with  it!" 
They  were  skirting  the  shore  of  Lake 
Waban,  on  foot,  on  their  way  to  Tupelo 
Point  —  that  is,  Angus  was  skirting  it  with 
the  escort  of  the  blue-eyed  Alicia;  for  Luke 
Strange  was  snugly  indoors,  drinking  tea  in 
the  care  of  Amanthus  and  Almira;  while 
Billy,  perfidious  ever,  had  betaken  himself 
to  a  certain  unscheduled  "Emily"  to  whom, 
it  might  seem  now,  his  visit  was  especially 
directed, 

306 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      207 

Now  Alicia  was  a  child  of  the  morning; 
there  were  certain  minor  poets  who  had  even 
gone  so  far  as  to  say  as  much  in  rhyme;  and 
it  was  not  strange,  therefore,  that  Angus, 
on  meeting  the  three  young  women,  had 
promptly  allied  himself  with  the  versifier.  It 
was  the  sunlight,  caught  in  her  curls;  it  was  the 
dawn,  arising  in  her  cheeks;  it  was  sun  and 
dawn  and  the  blue  morning-glory,  meeting 
in  her  eyes;  or,  perhaps,  it  was  some  older 
enchantment,  which  is  quite  independent 
of  morning  and  afternoon  and  night.  The 
choice  once  made,  however,  Mr.  Carmichael 
found  himself  quite  occupied;  for  Alicia, 
after  allowing  him  a  small  cup  of  tea,  invited 
him  to  Tupelo  Point,  the  walk  to  be  made 
along  the  lake,  where  the  snow  was  freshly 
fallen,  and,  so  he  calculated,  not  less  than 
twenty-four  inches  deep.  The  snow,  how- 
ever, was  a  mere  bagatelle;  it  was  the  in- 
tensity of  the  lady  with  which  he  had  breath- 
lessly to  contend. 

'*That  last  faint  flush  on  the  lake!"  said 
Alicia,    rapturously.     "It's    rose;    and    then 


2o8      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

it's  carmine;  and  then  it's  garnet.  And  the 
dark,  dark  lines  of  those  beautiful  Italian 
gardens!  Such  delicate  austerity!  It's  Italy 
—  transplanted  to  New  England !  Don't  you 
think  so?" 

"Transplanted?"  said  the  practical  Angus. 
"Why,  you  don't  suppose  they  brought  them 
over?  Oh  yes  —  yes  —  of  course,  I  see  what 
you  mean.  It's  great,  Miss  Halliday.  Only, 
what  I  don't  know  about  forestry  —  well!" 

"They  fill  me  with  longing,"  said  Alicia. 
"They  make  me  think  of  Shelley  —  and 
Keats  —  and  *Adonais'!     Don't  they  you?" 

"Why  —  why  yes,  I  reckon  they  do," 
said  Angus,  courageously.  "That  is  — 
when  I  look  at  them  long  enough.  To  tell 
you  the  truth.  Miss  Halliday,  I " 

"And  Shelley,  especially,"  pursued  Alicia, 
with  plaintive  joy.  "You  remember  those 
lines  about  himself  in  'Adonais'?" 

**I'm  afraid  I  don't,"  he  murmured  apolo- 
getically. "  I — I'm  not  much  at  lit.,  you 
know.  I'd  rather  do  things  in  lab.  any  day 
in  the  week." 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      209 

But  Alicia  was  quite  undisturbed.  She  stop- 
ped in  two  feet  of  drift  and  looked  far  out  across 
the  lake  and  into  the  darkness  of  the  gardens. 

"The  lines  go  this  way,"  she  said.  "FU 
say  them  to  you.  You'll  remember  them " 

"A-licia!  Aw,  Alicia!"  came  a  voice  from 
afar.     "They  are  calling  us  to  come  back." 

The  voice  was  that  of  Miss  Emily  Mac- 
Narrow,  who  when  not  attending  college, 
was  usually  engaged  in  riding  a  bronco  on  a 
ranch  in  Arizona. 

It  was  not  a  mellifluous  voice,  but  to  one 
young  gentleman,  at  that  moment,  it  was  as 
the  cry  of  a  rescue  party  in  the  Arctic. 

Returned  within  doors,  to  the  first-floor- 
centre,  Angus  Carmichael  made  his  next 
progression,  being  transferred  to  Amanthus, 
while  Alicia  assisted  Almira  in  the  care  of 
Luke  Strange.  Now  Amanthus  was  dark  in 
her  beauty,  and  if  Alicia  was  poetic,  Aman- 
thus was  artistic. 

"Yes,"  Amanthus  was  saying  fervidly, 
"I  have  always  cherished  this  Vedder.  It's 
the  Sibyl,  you  know  —  the  terrible,  inscrut- 


210      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

able,  determined  Cumsean  Sibyl!  And  it's 
such  an  absolute  contrast  to  the  Sistine! 
Of  course,  I  adore  Angelo's,  but  this  is  so 
very  interesting  because  it's  realistic.  How- 
ever,   I'm    afraid    it's    very    Vedderesque!" 

"Is  it?"  said  Angus,  feebly.  "I  don't 
know  myself.  I  like  her,  though,"  —  with 
more  heart  —  "she  knows  what  she's  about." 

"Y-yes,  I  believe  she  does,"  admitted 
Amanthus.  "By  Vedderesque,  I  suppose  I 
meant  the  style.  Perhaps  she  is  more  a 
Sibyl.  Now  with  Michel  Angelo  —  You 
know  the  Erythrean.f*  Do  you  think  the 
Erythrean  is  really  Sibylline?" 

She  shaded  her  eyes  to  gaze  up  at  the  pic- 
ture, and  Angus  looked  over  at  Luke  Strange 
with  a  glance  that  said  plainly  and  implor- 
ingly,   "In    distress.     Send    help    at    once." 

"I'm  awfully  sorry,"  he  confessed.  "But 
the  fact  is  —  I  don't  think  I've  seen  her.  Or 
if  I  have,  I've  forgotten  her.  You  know, 
don't  you,  Mr.  Strange?" 

And  then  did  Angus  progress  again,  being 
at  once   transferred  to  Almira,  a  nut-brown 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      211 

young  woman,  whose  particular  joy,  it  ap- 
peared, was  the  study  of  sociology.  Almira 
made  more  tea ;  she  made  it  vigorously;  and, 
over  their  second  cups,  she  dilated  on  the  sub- 
jects of  social  settlements,  group  fortunes, 
and  union  labor,  with  a  light  excursion  into 
the  field  of  woman  suffrage. 

"Do  you  think,"  she  was  saying  at  the  end 
of  ten  minutes,  "that  the  basis  for  a  defini- 
tion of  socialism  must  be  entirely  economic.^ 
That  it  must  be  given  in  terms  of  the  owner- 
ship of  the  means  of  production?" 

"Well,  I  am  afraid  I  am  not  prepared  to 
say,"  gasped  Angus. 

"You  are  quite  right  not  to  give  an  off-hand 
answer.  There  are  as  many  cheap  opinions 
about  that  as  there  are  about  Henry  George's 
theory  of  the  Single  Tax.  I  hope  you  are  inter- 
ested in  the  question  of  suffrage  for  women  .^" 

"Oh  yes  —  yes,"  said  Angus,  snatching  at 
the  chance  to  wade  into  shallower  water. 
"They  ought  to  have  it  if  they  want    it!" 

"As  long,"  said  Almira,  severely,  "as 
certain  women  sit  on  the  fence  and  shout  for 


212       A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

one  side  and  then  shout  for  the  other  side, 
so  long  will  progress  be  retarded.  For  my 
part,  I'd  make  them  get  down!  One  way 
or  the  other  way,  but  some  way." 

"I'm  — I'm  sure  you  would,"  murmured 
Angus  miserably.  "That  is  —  of  course  — 
I  think  you  ought." 

"And    if    they    didn't,"  said  Almira  

"Didn't  what,  Miss  Pollard.?"  asked  Billy, 
coming  into  it  cheerfully.  "Didn't  vote  for 
Roosevelt,  or  didn't  go  over  to  Tammany  .»* 
Angus,  it's  time  to  catch  our  train.  Are  you 
coming,  or  will  you  stay  and  be  a  suffragette.'*" 

Carmichael  rose  with  alacrity.  He  failed 
to  note,  as  he  did  so,  that  Billy  looked  grin- 
ning inquiries  at  Miss  Pollard,  and  Miss 
Pollard  looked  roguish  reassurances  at  Billy. 
He  failed,  also,  to  intercept  glances  between 
Alicia  of  *Adonais'  and  Amanthus  of  the 
Erythrean  Sibyl  —  glances  in  which  wicked 
laughter  had  its  undeniable  part.  Nor  did 
he  know  that  at  the  last  moment  Miss  Emily 
MacNarrow  of  Arizona  took  occasion  to  tell 
Mr.  West  that  he  and  his  confederates,  Alicia, 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE       213 

Amanthus,  and  Almira,  ought  to  be  ashamed 
of  themselves. 

"And  what  Almira,  for  one,  didn't  have 
to  cram  to  be  able  to  do  it!"  said  Miss  Mac- 
Narrow,  accusingly. 

But  Angus  knew  none  of  all  this.  He  merely 
said  good-bye  and  went  off  to  the  station  in  a 
little  carriage  driven  by  a  man  called  Tommy. 

That  night,  however,  he  shut  himself  up  in 
his  room  and  read  Jane's  chill  little  note  once 
more.  Then  he  came  forth  into  the  common 
sitting  room,  and  took  up  a  text  book,  with  a 
certain  grip  of  the  hand  and  a  certain  set  of 
the  head  which  Billy  knew  of  old  and  hailed 
with  a  sigh  of  relief. 

"It  worked,"  he  said  to  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Strange.     "  It  worked  like  a  mustard  plaster." 

"I  should  say,"  said  Mr.  Strange,  "that  a 
bouquet  of  some  sort,  or  boxes  of  candy  — 
or  something — should  be  sent  to  the  young 
ladies." 

"Alicia?"  said  Billy,  "And  Amanthus.? 
And  Almira.''  Why  those  little  wretches  had 
the  time  of  their  lives !" 


CHAPTER  XVII 

Which  coming  a  bit  too  soon  to  be  an  epilogue, 
shall  be  the  posy  of  a  ring 

FOR  a  man  on  the  crew,"  said  Billy  to 
Angus,  "it  strikes  me  you  are  not 
looking  fit." 

It  was  Easter  now  and  the  jaws  of  the  lions 
had  been  passed  without  catastrophe  by 
Angus,  even  of  that  lion  yclept  Greek  tragedy. 
Still,  Carmichael  had  lost  both  weight  and 
colour,  which  facts  were  by  no  means  lost 
upon  Billy. 

"Your  costume,"  said  Angus,  in  return  for 
this  kindness,  "  is  wholly  inappropriate  to 
your  nature.  You  ought  to  wear  petticoats 
and  a  frilled  cap  and  make  gruel  for  me." 

"It's  no  use,"  thought  Billy  at  this  point; 
"I  can't  do  anything  with  him.  I've  got  to 
have  help.     I've  got  to  write  to  Jane  Kent." 

The  result  was  a  carefully  composed  epistle. 

314 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      215 

He  described  a  young  gentleman  sought 
after  by  many  boon  companions,  and  refusing 
all  invitations  save  those  of  the  writer  himself, 
who  was  thereby  flattered  but  alarmed.  He 
depicted  an  heroic  struggle  with  Greek, 
and  a  conquest  of  the  same,  followed  by  a 
spring  term  of  listlessness  and  stoical  indif- 
ference. He  told  of  the  anguished  efforts 
of  the  boat  crew  to  arouse  some  interest  in 
the  breast  of  their  star  member,  and  he  ended 
by  an  appeal  for  assistance.  Would  she 
help  him  I  Could  she  ?  Was  there  any 
counsel  she  could  offer?  And  if  not,  would  she 
forgive  him  for  bothering.?  "  You  see,  "  he 
wrote  in  conclusion,  "it's  up  to  me  to  do 
something,  and  this  is  the  only  thing  I  can 
think  of  that  might  do  any  good." 

The  letter  was  posted  on  Monday;  on 
Friday  the  answer  came,  and  Billy  opened 
it  fearfully. 

Yes,  Mr.  West  had  been  quite  right  to 
speak  to  her  —  that  is,  to  write  to  her —  if 
he  felt  that  she  might  be  of  the  slightest 
service   either   to   him   or   Mr.    Carmichael. 


2i6      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

She  regretted  that  all  was  not  well  with  Mr. 
Carmichael  and  hoped  that  he  would  soon 
recover  his  spirits.  So  far  as  she  was  per- 
sonally concerned,  however,  there  was  noth- 
ing she  could  do  or  suggest,  except,  indeed, 
that  Mr.  Carmichael  explain  his  statement 
concerning  the  loss  of  a  ring  of  hers  which 
she  now  knew  to  be  in  the  possession  of  a 
mutual  friend.  At  the  close  of  the  letter 
she  was  very  cordially  his,  and  believed  it 
right  on  his  part  to  think  of  everything  that 
might  concern  the  welfare  of  his  friend. 

To  this  close,  however,  Billy  did  not  read. 
When  he  arrived  at  the  passage  of  the  ring 
—  which  he  subsequently  described  as  if  it 
had  been  a  passage  through  the  Alps  —  Billy 
West  rose  to  his  feet  and  whistled. 

Then  for  the  second  time  he  sat  down  and 
wrote,  but  this  time  wrote  madly,  frantically, 
and  not  to  Jane,  but  to  that  elusive  and  tricksy 
sprite.  Miss  Nixie  Donovan. 

This  letter  he  addressed  as  he  had  addressed 
the  ring  and  former  letters  to  Summit,  in 
her  father's  care.     He  also  sent  a  note  to 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      217 

the  pater  himself,  asking  if  he  knew  anything 
of  a  small  registered  package  that  had  been  sent 
to  Miss  Donovan  over  two  months  before. 

A  reply  came  at  once  from  Mr.  Donovan, 
which  said  with  considerable  stiffness,  that 
such  a  package  had  come,  and  had  been  de- 
posited in  his  safe,  until  he  should  learn  from 
his  daughter  to  whom  he  could  return  it. 
The  letters,  he  added,  had  been  forwarded, 
but  owing  to  many  changed  plans,  he  doubted 
if  she  had  ever  received  them.  He  was  return- 
ing the  small  box  with  this  letter,  and  wished 
to  say  once  for  all  that  hereafter  any  gifts 
to  his  daughter  must  be  in  the  form  of  candy 
or  flowers,  as  she  was  not  permitted  to  receive 
objects  of  value. 

A  few  hours  later  a  small,  innocent  wooden 
box  was  in  the  pocket  of  Mr.  William  West, 
and  that  young  gentleman  himself  was  at 
West  Divinity  in  earnest  conference  with 
Luke  Strange  who  was  leaving  that  evening 
to  spend  Easter  in  Kentucky. 

"On  account  of  the  age  of  the  rector,  and 
the  heavy  services,"  he  explained  with  un- 


2i8       A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

necessary  care  to   Heels,  "I'll  be  there  five 
days,  arriving  Saturday " 


"You'll  get  there  Saturday,"  interrupted 
Billy,  jubilantly,  too  elated  with  the  possible 
unravelling  of  his  own  tangle  to  guy  the  Rev. 
Luke  about  his  sudden  religious  zeal,  and 
his  lack  of  filial  regard  in  not  spending  his 
vacation  at  the  sanitarium  where  his  mother 
continued  to  enjoy  wretched  health. 

"You'll  get  there  on  Saturday,"  repeated 
Billy,  "and  you  must  see  Miss  Kent  that 
very  night.  Just  tell  her  everything  and 
put  the  whole  blamed  afi"air  on  me,  where  it 
belongs.  Don't  let  up  until  you  make  her 
see  that  Gus  is  as  innocent  as  a  lamb,  give 
her  the  ring  and  tell  her  that  he  still  thinks 
it's  lost,  and  hasn't  a  ghost  of  an  idea  of  the 
true  situation.  Then  for  heaven's  sake  get 
her  to  write  to  Gus  at  once.  If  she'll  just 
square  it  up  with  him,  she  can  do  anything 
she  likes  to  me.  He  ought  to  hear  from  her 
by  Monday." 

But  Monday  came,  and  with  it  no  letter 
for  Angus.     To  be  sure  on  Billy's  disordered 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      219 

desk  was  deposited  a  little  pile  of  bills  and 
other  epistles  apparently  of  a  desultory  nature, 
to  which  he  paid  no  attention. 

It  was  on  the  evening  of  that  day,  moreover, 
that  Angus  in  his  depression  appeared  to 
Billy  alternately  as  a  large  and  helpless  baby, 
and  as  a  stern  and  reticent  misanthrope  to 
whom  a  question  would  be  ill-advised  and 
unwelcome. 

But  Billy  when  he  made  up  his  mind  to 
take  water,  could  dive  to  the  bottom  with  the 
best.    He  spoke  at  last,  and  spoke  to  the  point. 

"Gus,"  he  said  firmly,  "you've  got  to  tell 
me  what's  the  matter." 

Angus's  jaw  squared,  then  he  crossed  his 
arms  on  the  table  and  leaned  forward. 

"I  don't  know.  Bill,  that's  the  trouble. 
I  was  sailing  along,  with  everything  serene, 
and  suddenly  struck  a  snag  and  went  to  the 
bottom." 

"Was  it  anything  about  —  that  is  did  it 
have  anything  to  do  with  the  ring  you  lost.'"' 

"I  don't  know,"  said  Angus  hopelessly.  "I 
told  her  the  truth  and  she  said  it  was  all  right 


2  20      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

and  behaved  like  an  angel.  We  parted  the 
best  sort  of  friends,  and  that  was  the  end  of  it." 

"But  she  has  written  to  you,"  persisted 
Heels. 

"Only  once,"  said  Angus,  "and  that  was 
to  say  she  wouldn't  accept  a  duplicate  of 
the  ring.  I'd  been  everywhere  trying  to 
find  one  like  it,  and  was  about  to  have  one 
made,  but  when  I  told  the  jeweller  I  wanted 
a  star  sapphire  that  looked  like  a  cat's  eye, 
set  in  chastened  gold,  he  seemed  to  think  I 
was  an  idiot  —  which  I  am.  Oh!  it  isn't 
the  ring  only.     It  —  it's  meP^ 

Billy  set  his  teeth  on  his  pipestem  and 
clinched  it.     Then  he  spoke. 

"Gus,  it's  not  you  at  all.  I'm  the  one. 
You  can  knock  me  down  and  I  won't  lift  a 
finger  to  protect  myself;  you  can  do  or  say 
anything  under  heaven  that  you  see  fit  and 
I  won't  blame  you.     I  —  I  —  the  fact  is " 

It  took  but  a  short  time  to  tell  it,  but  a 
minute  in  such  a  crisis  is  quite  a  period. 
When  it  was  over  Billy  was  hot  and  breathless 
and  Angus  was  pale  and  his  lips  were  drawn. 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE       221 

"Where's  my  hat?"  he  demanded.  "I  am 
going  out  —  I've  got  to  send  a  telegram." 

As  Billy  fumbled  among  the  things  on  the 
table,  his  eye  fell  upon  his  little  stack  of 
unopened  mail,  and  he  recognized  Luke 
Strange's  handwriting.  He  slit  the  envelope 
and  read  aloud: 

"Writing  on  train,  reached  home  to  find 
letter  from  mother  begging  me  to  come  at 
once,  as  she  is  not  feeling  so  well.  Am  there- 
fore doubling  on  my  tracks  and  returning  to 
Blue  Springs. 

"During  the  few  minutes  I  was  at  home, 
called  up  Mrs.  Kent's  residence,  but  failed 
to  get  an  answer. 

"I  locked  the  ring  safely  away  in  the  small 
cabinet  in  the  drawing  room  before  I  left, 
and  am  now  writing  full  particulars  to  Miss 
Jane." 

"Bill  West,"  shouted  Angus,  "get  up  there 
and  hustle.  Get  out  my  suit  case,  and  my 
shirts  and  shoes  and  all  my  glad  rags.  I  am 
going  out  to  telegraph  to  Strange,  and  to- 
night I  leave  for  Kentucky!" 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

In  which  Mr.  Carmichael  is  discovered  on  his 
way  to  Kentucky;  and  Mrs.  Binkins^s 
calendar  plays  her  false 

FRTY  miles  an  hour!  What  a  snail's 
pace  for  an  ardent  lover  whose  imagina- 
tion has  flown  again  and  again  to  its  destina- 
tion only  to  have  to  return  to  the  actual,  to 
upholstered  seats  of  crimson  plush,  to  a 
crawling  landscape  from  a  small  square 
window,  and  to  the  monotonous  throb  of 
engine  wheels. 

But  the  fever  of  restlessness  from  which 
Mr.  Carmichael  was  sufi'ering  was  an  inter- 
mittent fever,  and  there  were  periods  of 
apparently  blissful  tranquillity  during  which 
he  lay  with  his  feet  stretched  forth,  his  hands 
deep  in  his  pockets  and  such  a  look  of  beati- 
tude upon  his  countenance  as  comes  but  once 

in  a  lifetime. 

aaa 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      223 

The  world  outside  was  full  of  the  vague 
and  tender  glory  of  the  coming  spring;  the 
budding  trees,  the  stirring  streams,  the  gentle 
thrill  and  pulsing  of  waking  nature  were  all 
manifest;  but  Angus  heeded  them  not.  Sum- 
mer or  winter,  autumn  or  spring,  it  was  all  the 
same  to  him  —  he  was  on  his  way  to  Jane- 
He  had  left  New  York  the  evening  before, 
yet  a  score  of  hours  still  stood  between  him 
and  his  destination.  At  every  station  he 
rushed  to  the  platform,  hoping  it  was  the 
junction  where  Luke  Strange  had  telegraphed 
he  would  meet  him. 

"Are  you  sure  this  is  the  only  place  where 
you  can  change  cars  for  Blue  Springs.'*" 
he  at  last  demanded  of  the  conductor,  when 
the  station  was  reached  and  no  Strange  ap- 
peared. 

But  before  the  answer  arrived  he  caught 
sight  of  a  small  man  running  from  the  far 
end  of  the  platform,  peering  into  the  train 
windows  as  he  ran.  The  swing  of  the  coat 
around  the  short,  sturdy  legs,  the  angle  of 
the  soft  hat  were  unmistakable. 


224      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

"Strange!"  shouted  Angus,  half  out  of 
the  window,  "here  I  am!" 

The  train  began  to  move  slowly,  and  the 
Rev.  Luke  redoubled  his  pace. 

"It's  the  second  —  right-hand  drawer," 
he  gasped  at  last  when  he  had  come  abreast 
of  Angus;  "and  here  is  the  key  to  the 
cabinet.  I've  written  Binkins  —  to  be 
there  —  to  receive  you.  I've  written  Miss 
Jane  —  Good-bye;  good  luck  to  you.  Bin- 
kins  —  will  —  be  there!" 

And  as  the  flushed  and  breathless  little 
gentleman  stood  waving  his  friend  out  of 
sight,  he  little  thought  that  at  that  moment 
the  faithful  Binkins  was  deep  in  preparations 
to  attend  the  Barbers'  Easter  Ball  with  Mr. 
Mike  Fahey  on  that  self-same  evening. 

"This  is  Tuesday  the  sixth,"  she  assured 
herself  as  she  consulted  the  pictured  calendar 
which  had  been  given  her  two  years  before. 
"The  seventh,  Mr.  Luke  says,  as  plain  as 
writing  can  make  it,  I'm  to  have  things  fixed 
up  for  Mr.  Angus  Carmichael.  The  nice 
young  man!     If   he   made    such    a    stir   as 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE       225 

he  did  with  one  leg,  heaven  knows  what 
he'll  do  with  two!  Ain't  I  glad  he's  coming 
to-morrow  instead  of  to-day!  I  never  did 
have  no  luck,  to  speak  of,  till  I  met  Mr. 
Fahey,"  and  she  smiled  complacently  as 
she  went  back  to  a  tuck  she  was  taking  in  an 
old  gray  silk  dress  which  Mrs.  Kent  had 
donated  for  the  occasion. 

When  the  time  for  donning  it  arrived,  she 
recklessly  turned  on  all  the  lights  and  pulled 
her  dresser  out  in  the  middle  of  the  room. 
There  were  four  small,  tight  puffs  of  hair 
which  she  had  secreted  for  weeks,  and  which 
were  now  to  be  installed  for  the  first  time. 
It  was  a  ceremony  to  be  conducted  with  the 
greatest  care  and  deliberation.  She  tried 
them  in  a  variety  of  positions,  holding  a 
small  mirror  back  of  her  head  to  observe  the 
effect  in  the  larger  glass.  Each  new  arrange- 
ment seemed  to  please  her  more  than  the  last. 

"If  I  could  just  keep  the  wobbly  things  on," 
she  said  to  herself  at  last.  "I've  a  good 
mind  to  try  a  knitting  needle." 

She  went  to  her  basket  and,  regardless  of 


226      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

future  bother,  drew  a  needle  from  the  long 
row  of  stitches  that  were  set  upon  it. 

The  experiment  proved  satisfactory  after 
a  small  bow  had  been  tied  on  each  end  of  the 
needle,  and  Mrs.  Binkins  next  turned  her 
attention  to  the  dress.  The  elbow  sleeves  and 
modest  round  neck  embarrassed  her  greatly, 
but  it  was  a  pleased  embarrassment  that 
brought  her  back  again  and  again  to  the 
mirror,  each  time  more  reconciled  to  the 
effect.  It  needed  only  the  enthusiastic  ap- 
proval of  Tillie,  one  of  the  Kents's  maids, 
who  dropped  in  to  see  her  dressed,  to 
complete  her  satisfaction. 

"My  goodness,  Mrs.  Binkins,  you  look 
ten  years  younger!"  Tillie  said  as  she  assisted 
with  the  hooks. 

"I  ain't  daring  to  think  what  Binkins 
would,  a'  said  to  all  this  foolishness,"  the 
flattered  lady  replied.  "He  was  such  a 
plain,  sober-minded  man,  hadn't  no  eye  for 
frivolity.  But  then,"  she  gave  a  toss  to  her 
head,  "it  ain't  Mr.  Binkins  I'm  a-dressin' 
for  to-night!" 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      227 

Mrs.  Binkins's  elaborate  attention  to  her 
toilet  was  not  without  its  results.  The 
Easter  Ball  of  the  United  Barbers*  Associa- 
tion, once  in  full  swing,  she  found  herself 
greatly  in  demand.  Her  escort  prided  him- 
self upon  his  gallantry,  and  being  a  popular 
and  jovial  member  of  innumerable  lodges, 
his  "lady"  albeit  middle-aged  and  severe  of 
demeanour,  was  given  due  attention. 

She  had  even  danced  twice  at  the  earnest 
solicitation  of  Mr.  Fahey,  once  with  the 
Master  Barber  and  once  with  the  President 
of  the  Bricklayers'  Union. 

When  at  last,  flushed  with  success  and  the 
unusual  exercise,  she  accepted  Mr.  Fahey's 
invitation  for  refreshments,  she  was  in  quite 
a  frivolous  frame  of  mind. 

"I  ain't  danced  for  twenty  years,"  she 
said,  securing  the  knitting  needle  more  firmly 
in  her  tresses;  "but  it's  one  of  them  things 
you  ain't  likely  to  forget." 

"I  bet  you  was  a  waltzer  in  your  day!" 
said  Mike  Fahey  admiringly.  He  was 
slightly  handicapped  by  a  pair  of  new  patent 


228      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

leather  shoes,  and  a  tight-fitting  suit  of  large 
black  and  white  check  which  the  ready-to- 
wear  tailor  had  assured  him  was  called  invis- 
ible plaid. 

"Ain't  it  still  my  day?"  she  asked  smil- 
ingly, as  she  toyed  with  the  small  metal 
purse  that  swung  from  her  arm. 

"Sure,  an'  it  is,"  said  Mike,  "the  topo'  the 
morning.   Let  me  fill  up  yer  glass  again  for  ye." 

Mrs.  Binkins  complied,  then  she  put  her 
hand  to  her  head. 

"Mike,"  she  said,  suddenly,  "what's  in  that 
bottle?" 

Mike's  large  red  hand  promptly  closed  over 
the  label. 

"What  makes  your  eyes  so  bright,  Mrs. 
Binkins?"  he  teased. 

"They  ain't  bright,  are  they?"  she  asked 
anxiously. 

"For  sure!"  said  Mike.  "The  dance  got  in 
and  couldn't  get  out.  You  don't  feel  giddy, 
do  you  now?" 

"Mr.  Fahey!"  she  said  in  horrified  tones, 
"you  don't  mean  to  say  that    you've   gone 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      229 

and  given  me  spirituous  liquor?  And  me  a 
member  of  a  temperance  band,  and  the  Rosa- 
lene  Choir?" 

"Try  counting  backwards,"  said  Mike, 
"that'll  steady  your  nerves  a  bit.  Ye  ain't 
seeing  two  of  me,  are  ye?" 

"Well  I'll  see  the  last  of  you,  if  you've 
been  fooling  me!"  she  cried,  and  with  set 
teeth  she  loosened  his  fingers  from  around  the 
bottle  and  disclosed  the  innocent  label,  "Gin- 
ger Ale." 

At  this  moment  a  commotion  at  the  en- 
trance showed  that  the  important  guest  of 
the  evening  had  arrived.  It  was  a  would-be 
councilman,  who  was  even  now  enveloped 
in  prospective  glory. 

Mr.  Fahey  was  good-naturedly  pushing  his 
way  to  the  front  to  welcome  the  late  arrival 
when  a  cry  from  Mrs.  Binkins  arrested  him. 

"  My  purse!  That  man  took  it!  Mike, 
catch  him!     Mike!" 

Mr.  Fahey  wheeled,  and  following  in  the 
direction  indicated,  fell  upon  the  one  man 
who  was  going  away  from  the  door. 


230      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

"That's  him!"  screamed  Mrs.  Binkins. 
"The  impudence  of  him'  Put  your  hand  in 
your  pocket,  sir  —  no  Mike,  make  him  do 
it  of  his  own  self!  Put  your  hand  in  your 
pocket  there  and  give  me  my  metal  purse." 

The  man  turned  uneasily  in  Mike's  grasp. 

"I  ain't  got  it!  Lemme  go,  you  ain't  no 
officer!" 

"I  ain't,  ain't  I.?"  said  Mike,  throwing  back 
his  coat  with  its  invisible  check  and  display- 
ing his  badge  of  office. 

"You  hold  him,  Mike,  and  I'll  get  my  bag," 
cried  Mrs.  Binkins,  and  with  a  deft  turn  she 
recovered  her  property. 

"There's  a  gentleman  as  wants  to  see  him 
at  the  police  station,"  said  Mike;  "will  ye 
bide  here  till  I  come  back  from  taking  him.f*" 

"That  I  won't,"  said  Mrs.  Binkins.  I'm 
coming  along  to  testify  my  evidence." 

And  with  a  grim  look  of  determination,  she 
fell  in  line  behind  the  officer  and  his  prisoner 
and  marched  resolutely  through  the  space 
that  was  opened  for  them. 

It  was  raining  in  torrents  when  they  arrived 


.  A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      231 

at  the  station,  and  for  some  moments  Mrs. 
Binkins's  attention  was  absorbed  in  trying  to 
ascertain  the  damage  done  to  her  dampened 
finery. 

When  at  last  her  mind  became  detached 
from  her  furbelows,  she  found  herself  in  a 
small  waiting  room  in  the  cheerful  company 
of  a  dozen  pictured  criminals.  Suddenly 
her  eyes  fixed  themselves  upon  a  large  litho- 
graphed calendar  that  announced  in  letters 
six  inches  high  that  the  date  was 

Tuesday  the  7th. 

The  officers  at  the  door  were  startled  by  a 
sedate  feminine  figure  in  gala  attire,  suddenly 
rushing  through  their  midst,  and,  not  waiting 
for  umbrella  nor  explanations,  hurling  herself 
frantically  upon  a  south-bound  street  car. 


CHAPTER   XIX 

Which  is  all  owing  to  that  deceitful  calendar, 
but  is  not  so  sad  as  it  might  be 

JANE,  do  listen  to  the  rain!  It's  simply 
pouring  in  torrents.  I'm  afraid  our 
friend  Mrs.  Binkins  will  get  some  of  her  fine 
feathers  draggled." 

Mrs.  Kent  laid  down  her  magazine,  and 
looked  across  at  her  niece  whose  brown  head 
was  bent  over  some  embroidery  on  the  other 
side  of  the  lamp. 

Its  amber  glow  was  becoming  —  or  was 
it  that  their  week  in  the  Blue  Grass  had 
brought  back  to  Jane's  cheek  its  customary 
tinge  of  rose,  so  noticeably  lacking  of  late? 

"Tillie  was  over  to  help  her  off,"  continued 

Mrs.    Kent.     "She    said    she    looked    quite 

grand  in  my  old  gown,  and  Mike  sent  her  — 

what  do  you  suppose?  —  calla  lilies!" 

"He's  doing  the  thing  up  properly,"  said 
232 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      233 

Jane  smiling.  "Tillie  said  he  came  for  her 
in  the  jag  hack." 

"The  whatr'  asked  Mrs.  Kent. 

"That's  what  the  servants  call  the  old 
carriage  up  at  the  livery  stable  that  you 
get  for  half  price." 

"Mike  is  certainly  growing  reckless,  and 
Binkins  is  not  the  housekeeper  she  was  twelve 
months  ago.  Love  affairs  are  most  upset- 
ting." 

Jane  held  up  her  work,  letting  her  needle 
dangle  to  untwist  her  floss.  "And  at  Mrs. 
Binkins's  age  perfectly  absurd!"  she  said. 

"I  doubt  if  Mrs.  Binkins  is  as  old  as  I  am 
—  I  remember " 

"My  dear  aunt!  what  has  that  to  do  with 
it?"  Jane  interrupted.  "You  aren't  pre- 
tending to  be  in  love  with  Mike  Fahey,  or 
anybody  else,  I  suppose." 

Mrs.  Kent  regarded  her  niece  quizzically, 
the  tip  of  her  tongue  touching  her  upper  lip 
for  a  minute,  before  she  said  rather  emphati- 
cally. "I  trust  not,  indeed.  I  dislike  pre- 
tence of  any  kind.     I   can't  say  I   haven't 


234      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

tried  the  game,  but  I  never  played  It  well." 

If  her  look  and  words  carried  any  special 
significance  it  was  quite  lost  upon  Jane,  for 
that  young  lady  was  finding  her  own  thoughts 
so  absorbing  to-night,  that  she  was  guilty  of 
frequent  lapses  of  attention.  Even  now  a 
little  tell-tale  smile  curled  about  her  lips,  as 
she  threaded  her  needle  with  an  azure  strand. 
What  interest  had  she  in  Mrs.  Binkins  and 
Mike.? 

The  rain  dashed  against  the  windows  and 
Mrs.  Kent  returned  to  her  magazine.  After 
a    brief    pause    however,    she    spoke   again. 

"By  the  way,  what  did  Luke  have  to  say? 
Didn't  I  see  a  note  addressed  to  you  in  his 
handwriting    on    the    table    this    morning?" 

Jane  looked  at  her  vacantly. 

"Jane  do  you  know  you  are  awfully  queer 
to-night?  You  make  me  creepy,  as  if  I  were 
reading  a  detective  story.  Has  Luke  com- 
mitted some  crime,  and  are  you  trying  to 
conceal  it  from  me?" 

"Luke?"  Jane  repeated;  then  —  "I  beg 
your  pardon.     I  was  thinking  of  something 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      235 

else."  She  laughed  vaguely.  "Why  yes, 
he  said  —  he  said  his  mother  has  had  a  re- 
lapse at  the  Blue  Springs  —  he  found  the 
telegram  waiting  for  him  here."  And  Jane 
laughed  again. 

"I  must  say  I  like  your  sympathetic  atti- 
tude toward  Mrs,  Strange.  I  wish  I  could 
make  a  Roman  holiday  of  her,  so  to  speak, 
but  she  gets  on  my  nerves." 

"She's  an  abominably  selfish  old  woman. 
She  makes  herself  ill  just  to  worry  Luke," 
said  Jane. 

"I  think  you  are  right,  there,  only  perhaps 
she  isn't  altogether  conscious  of  it.  I  wonder 
if  a  shock  of  some  sort  might  not  do  her  good  V* 

"She  takes  electricity  all  the  time,"  an- 
swered Jane,  who  was  fast  lapsing  into  her 
happy  dreamland  again. 

"I  don't  mean  anything  so  tame  —  a  men- 
tal —  a  moral  shock  —  some  desperate  deed 
on  Luke's  part." 

"Desperate?  —  Luke!  What  can  you 
mean.?"  Surprise  had  brought  Jane  back  to 
present  company  again. 


236       A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

"Did  It  ever  occur  to  you  that  he  might 
marry?"  asked  her  aunt. 

"I     don't     know "    she    stammered. 

"Would  you  call  that  desperate?" 

"At  times  it  appears  to  me  in  that  light." 

"But  is  he  —  has  he — do  you  think " 

faltered    Jane. 

Mrs.  Kent  beat  a  rapid  retreat  from  her 
advanced  position.  "Oh  don't  ask  me.  I 
was  only  thinking  the  person  who  married 
him  must  be  rather  brave.  Yet  it  might  be  a 
good  thing  for  Luke." 

"Well  I  can  tell  you  one  thing,"  said  Jane, 
"if  I  wanted  to  marry  Luke  Strange  — 
which  I- don't  —  I'd  marry  him,  in  spite  of 
all  the  hypochondriacal  old  women  in  all 
the  sanitariums  in  the  country." 

"My  dear  Jane!"  It  was  Mrs.  Kent's 
turn  to  laugh,  and  laugh  she  did,  quite  uncon- 
trollably. 

Jane  laughed  a  little  too.  Then  she  began 
to  fold  her  work.  "I  think  I'll  go  upstairs," 
she  said. 

"By  the  way,  Janey,  what  has  become  of 


''By    the  way,  Janey,  what  has    become   of   our 
two  Yale  friends?'''' 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      237 

our  two  Yale  friends?  Wasn't  there  some 
talk  of  their  coming  out  for  Easter?" 

Pausing  on  her  way  to  the  door,  Jane  bent 
over  a  bowl  of  violets  as  she  answered.  "I 
suppose  they  gave  it  up.  I  had  a  letter  from 
Billy  West  this  afternoon.  He  said  he  was 
going  home." 

She  did  not  add  that  he  had  said  other 
things  far  more  important;  things  explana- 
tory and  deeply  repentant,  which  together 
with  Luke's  note  had  changed  the  colour  of 
the  world  for  Jane,  and  were  responsible  for 
that  absence  of  mind  which  has  been  noted. 

"Your  correspondence  seems  to  be  with 
Billy,  and  yet  I  had  an  idea  you  preferred 
Angus.  There  was  no  question  as  to  his 
preference,"  Mrs.  Kent  remarked,  adding, 
"I  myself  took  a  great  fancy  to  Angus.  It 
was  easy  to  see  he  was  made  a  continual 
victim  of  practical  jokes  by  Nixie  and  Mr. 
West.  The  traits  that  are  his  greatest 
charm  made  him  easy  game." 

Jane  turned  in  the  doorway.  "Yes,"  she 
said,  "thev  were  neither  of  them  fair.     Thev 


238      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

made  me  believe  things  that  were  not  true, 
—  I  know  now." 

"Ah-ha!  You  do?"  said  Mrs.  Kent  to  her- 
self, smiling  at  Jane's  back.  "I  knew  there 
was  some  trouble.  I  wonder  what  Nixie 
Donovan  did?" 

Left  alone  the  laughter  faded  from  her 
face,  and  rising  she  began  to  pace  back 
and  forth  the  length  of  the  library.  *'0h 
the  arrogance  of  youth  —  the  finality  of  its 
judgments,"  she  murmured.  "Incredible 
alike  that  Mrs.  Binkins  or  I  should  —  well, 
it  is  rather  incredible,  isn't  it?"  She  came 
to  a  halt  before  the  pier  glass.  The  image  it 
gave  back  —  one  of  pleasant  curves  and  soft 
tints  —  was  consoling.  "One  may  look 
young,  yet  the  very  phrase  proves  one  is  not. 
But,  after  all "  she  smiled  and  the  dim- 
ple asserted  itself,  its  cheerful  philosophy 
triumphed,  she  lifted  her  arms  above  her  head. 
"What  do  I  care  for  all  the  arrogant  youth 
in  the  world,  or  for  all  the  hypochondriacal 
old  women?       I  thank  you  Jane  for  that." 

Still  smiling,  she  passed  from  one  window  to 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      239 

another  to  make  sure  the  bolts  were  secure 
for  the  night.  At  the  side  window  she  paused 
and  looked  across  the  stretch  of  lawn  at  the 
neighbouring  house,  about  which  the  shadows 
lay  dark  until  a  vivid  lightning  flash  illumin- 
ated it  for  a  second.  In  that  brief  instant 
Mrs.  Kent  fancied  she  saw  the  figure  of  a 
man  near  the  side  entrance.  It  might  have 
been  a  moving  shadow,  for  the  wind  was  still 
high,  though  the  rain  had  ceased;  but  as 
she  lingered  she  saw  the  blue  spurt  of  a 
match,  and  the  unmistakable  figure  of  a 
man  passing  stealthily  to  and  fro. 

Then  a  vivid  flash  of  lightning  cut  the  inky 
darkness  and  it  was  in  that  flash  that  Mrs. 
Kent,  trembling  behind  her  curtain,  saw  a 
man  crawling  through  one  of  the  windows  of 
the  house  next  door.  Not  moving  from  her 
post,  she  reached  forth  her  hand  and  touched 
the  bell  beside  the  mantel. 

"Tillie!"  she  whispered  when  the  surprised 
maid  appeared.  "Don't  be  frightened;  don't 
make  a  scene.  Just  do  as  I  tell  you.  There's 
a  burglar  breaking    into    Mr.  Strange's!     I 


240      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

saw  him  get  in  the  window.  Run  upstairs 
and  tell  Miss  Jane  to  call  up  the  police  sta- 
tion. Don't  make  any  noise  —  and  hurry! 
rU  watch  here." 

A  few  moments  later  Jane  came  tip-toeing 
down,  with  Tillie  close  behind  her,  and  the 
three  fluttered  back  and  forth  between  the 
library  window  and  the  front  door  in  great 
excitement. 

"They  are  awfully  long  coming,"  whispered 
Jane,  trying  to  control  her  chattering  teeth. 
"Just  suppose  Mrs.  Binkins  had  been  there 
alone." 

"Horrible!"  said  Mrs.  Kent.  "But  then 
she  would  have  her  police  whistle,  and  we 
haven't  anything  but  a  dinner  bell." 

"I  hear  something!"  cried  Tillie,  on  the 
verge  of  hysterics.    "It's  screams!    Oh!  Oh!" 

But  the  noise  proved  nothing  more  than  the 
chugging  of  an  automobile,  which  stopped  at 
a  discreet  distance  from  the  house,  while  five 
police  hurried  up  the  street,  pausing  at  the 
Kents's  door  only  long  enough  to  get  the 
necessary  information. 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      241 

Another  interminable  wait  occurred  during 
which  the  trio,  shivering  on  the  front  porch, 
started  at  every  sound. 

*'Do  you  suppose  they'll  put  him  in  the 
penitentiary?"  asked  Jane.  "Oh!  I  almost 
wish  he'd  get  away." 

"I  hope  they'll  hang  him,"  said  Tillie 
savagely,  and  at  that  moment  interest  rose 
to  fever  heat,  for  matters  seemed  to  have 
reached  a  climax  next  door.  Excited  voices 
were  heard  and  a  shrill  whistle  was  blown,  and 
just  when  they  weren't  wanted  two  street 
cars  passed  with  a  wholly  needless  clanging, 
so  that  all  the  watchers  could  discover 
was,  that  a  concentration  of  forces  had 
taken  place  and  a  great  deal  of  talking  was 
going  on. 

"Heavens!  a  policeman  is  coming  back  over 
here,"  said  Mrs.  Kent.  "I  hope  he  doesn't 
want  us  to  testify  In  the  police  court!  You 
go  in,  Jane,  you  didn't  see  anything  that 
happened." 

Jane  went  reluctantly  within  just  as  the 
officer  came  on  the  porch. 


242       A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

"Have  you  caught  your  burglar?"  asked 
Mrs.  Kent. 

The  policeman  removed  his  hat.  "Yes 
Lady,"  he  replied.  "We've  got  a  burglar, 
or  a  darn  fool  —  one  or  the  other  —  askin' 
your  pardon.  He  says  as  how  he's  a  friend 
of  yours." 

"Then  he  must  be  the  other,  for  I  haven't 
any  burglars  on  my  list,"  said  Mrs. 'Kent. 
"A  friend  of  mine?" 

"So  he  says,  and  he  looks  like  a  gent,  but 
there  ain't  no  reason  in  the  story  he  tells  — 
not  to  my  mind." 

"Don't  let  them  bring  him  in  here,  Mrs. 
Kent,  don't!"  expostulated  Tillie,  running 
into   the   house,    and    as    quickly    returning. 

"Nonsense,Tillie,ril  have  to  see  my  friend," 
her  mistress  replied;  and  the  officer  called, 
"O'Connor,  bring  the  young  feller  over  and 
let  the  lady  take  a  look  at  him." 

"Please  Mrs.  Kent,  don't  be  alarmed," 
a  familiar  voice  was  heard  saying,  as  the 
burglar  and  his  guard  came  across  the  grass. 
"I'm  awfully  sorry  about  all  this  fuss,  but  I 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      243 

can't  convince  them  I'm  not  a  professional 
housebreaker." 

"Angus  Carmichael,  in  heaven's  name!" 
cried  Mrs.  Kent,  while  Tillie  exclaimed,  "La! 
Miss  Jane,  it's  that  lame  young  man  Mrs. 
Binkins  was  so  good  to  last  winter.  Ain't 
that  gratitude  now?" 

Angus  held  out  an  eager  hand.  "Tell  them 
I'm  not  a  thief,  will  you  Mrs.  Kent?  It  was 
Miss  Jane's  ring  —  the  star  sapphire  —  it 
was  lost  you  know  —  it  has  been  a  grand  mix- 
up  —  but  anyhow,  Billy  gave  it  to  Luke  who 
left  it  here  when  he  was  called  away.  He  met 
me  at  the  train  with  the  key  of  the  cabinet 
where  he'd  put  it;  but  when  I  got  here  the 
house  was  locked,  and  I  couldn't  get  in. 
Then  I  tried  the  windows  and  found  the  pan- 
try one  unlocked.  There  really  was  no  other 
way,  you  see,  Mrs.  Kent,  I  just  had  to  have 
that  ring  to-night." 

"Of  course  you  had,  you  dear  boy.  You 
couldn't  have  waited  till  morning  possibly. 
Who  is  this  coming  in?" 

It  proved  to  be  a  stout  and  somewhat  dis- 


244      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

hevelled  person  in  a  crumpled  silk  dress,  with 
three  puffs  of  hair  dangling  across  her  flushed 
forehead. 

"Mrs.  Kent!  Mr.  Angus!  What's  hap- 
pened? What's  the  matter.'"'  she  called, 
even  before  she  reached  the  steps,  then  not 
waiting  for  an  answer,  she  proceeded  to  un- 
burden her  own  conscience  in  a  torrent  of 
explanation. 

"That's  what  I  get  for  going  by  a  little 
ten-cent  calendar  that  Mr.  Luke's  cousin  give 
me  for  a  Christmas  present.  I  might  have 
known  that  all  the  money  went  into  them 
flowers  and  birds  and  no  'tention  being  paid 
to  the  figures  what-so-ever.  Tuesday  the 
6th  it  said  as  plain  as  letters  could  make  it. 
And  I  went  by  it.  I  trusted  it.  And  here 
Mr.  Angus  comes  home  and  nobody  to  meet 
him  —  got  arrested  did  he?  for  climbing  in 
the  window?     Who  arrested  him?" 

Her  eyes  swept  the  group  on  the  steps  and 
she  recognized  several  familiar  faces. 

"And  it's  you,  Captain  O'Connor,  and  you, 
Mr.  Murphy,  that  I  left  playing  cards  in  the 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE       245 

police  station  not  half  an  hour  ago.  Why  don't 
you  stay  where  you  belong?  What  do  you 
come  'round  arresting  New  York  young 
gentlemen  that's  expected  on  a  visit,  and 
would  have  been  met  with  open  arms  if  it 
hadn't  been  for  a  little  old  ten-cent  calendar 
that  ain't  worth  the  paper  it's  printed  on!" 

Her  feelings  overcame  her,  and  being 
exhausted  by  the  various  excitements  of  the 
evening,  she  sank  on  the  porch,  regardless 
of  the  rain  soaked  boards  and  burst  into  tears. 

"There,  there!"  said  Mrs.  Kent  reassur- 
ingly. "Mr.  Carmichael  will  forgive  you,  I 
am  sure.  Let  him  come  inside  now.  Jane! 
Where's  Jane?" 

"She's  in  the  library,"  Tillie  ventured, 
"crying  like  everything.  I  told  her  there 
wasn't  no  call  to  be  skeered  no  more,  but " 

**  Perhaps  Mr.  Carmichael,  you  could  reas- 
sure her,  while  I  disperse  the  crowd,"  suggested 
Mrs.  Kent,  nor  did  Mr.  Carmichael  stand 
upon  the  order  of  his  going. 

Jane  sat  on  the  sofa  with  her  head  buried 
in   a   cushion.     Angus   paused   at   the   door. 


246      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

"Jane!"  he  cried,  "I've  made  a  mess  of  it, 
but  I'm  here,  and  I've  got  the  ring.  Aren't 
you  glad  to  see  me?"  Then  advancing, 
"Aren't  you  going  to  look  at  me?  Isn't  it 
all  right  now?" 

There  was  only  a  quiver  of  her  shoulders 
for  answer  and  Angus  looked  down  at  her  in 
consternation. 

"Didn't    Billy    write    you,    and    Luke?" 

She  nodded  into  the  pillow. 

Then  the  old  Angus,  in  eclipse  these  many 
months  —  the  knight  of  the  suit  case,  breezy, 
confident  —  emerged  for  good  and  all.  "  If 
you  don't  stop  crying  and  speak  to  me," 
he  said,  "I'll  do  something  desperate 
—  I'll  —  if  you  say  go,  I'll  go,  but  if  you 
don't " 

Jane  didn't  —  and  the  next  minute  she 
was  held  fast  in  a  pair  of  strong  arms,  and 
her  tear-stained  cheek  buried  on  an  athletic 
shoulder. 

"Why  won't  you  look  at  me,  Jane?"  Angus 
demanded,  and  his  voice  told  her  he  was 
enjoying  himself. 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE       247 

"Because  —  because  —  I  look  so  horrid 
when  I  cry,"  she  faltered,  half  laughing. 

The  arms  tightened  about  her.  "You 
darling  goose  of  a  girl.  I  know  better.  But 
what  are  you  crying  about.''  Tell  me  in- 
stantly." 

"  Because  I  called  the  police  when  you  were 
trying  to  get  my  ring,  and  because  I  thought 
—  oh,  because  of  it  all!  I  shall  never  forgive 
Nixie  Donovan  —  never!" 

"Why  I  could  forgive  the  devil  right  now," 
said  Angus  triumphantly. 


CHAPTER    XX 

In  which  the  curtain  falls  upon  our  All' 
Star   Cast. 

WHY  describe  a  pier  in  North  River  in 
December  as  a  big  Mediterranean 
liner  is  about  to  depart?  Everybody  knows 
the  joyous  nature  of  the  crowd,  the  cabs 
struggling  through  the  press,  the  hurrying 
to  and  fro  of  uniformed  attendants,  the  arriv- 
ing of  florists'  boxes,  the  line  of  faces  along  the 
rail  above,  and  the  general  air  of  contagious 
expectancy  prevailing. 

"Hurry,  Dad,"  said  Miss  Nixie  Donovan 
to  her  parent,  as,  leaving  a  taxicab,  they 
plunged  into  the  crowd.  "I  simply  could 
not  have  Jane  and  Angus  get  off  with- 
out my  good-bye  after  the  darling  way 
they  forgave  Billy  and  me.  There's 
old     Billy    now!     See?     Waving    from    the 

promenade    deck?    He    said  he    was    going 

248 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE       249 

to  try  to  get  down  from  Boston  to  see 
them  off." 

The  gentleman  referred  to  was  leaning  over 
the  railing,  waving  violently  to  attract  their 
attention  not  only  to  himself,  but  to  the  young 
couple  beside  him  who  seemed  entirely  ab- 
sorbed in  each  other. 

"West?"  said  the  parent  of  Miss  Donovan, 
frowning,  "am  I  expected  to  know  him?  Is 
he  the  young  man  of  the  ring  and  the  letters 
of  last  winter?" 

"Of  course,  Angus's  best  man,  you  know. 
We  haven't  seen  each  other  since  the  wedding 
three  weeks  ago,  and  I've  simply  got  oceans 
to  tell  him.  Now  Dad,  you  calm  right  down 
at  the  start,  sir.  I'm  not  going  to  have  you 
cutting  up  about  every  man  I  look  at.  Be- 
sides this  is  purely  platonic.  Ask  Jane. 
Doesn't  she  look  adorable  up  there  in  that 
long  coat?  I  don't  wonder  the  Carmichaels 
over  in   St.   Louis   went   crazy   about  her." 

"What  does  young  Mr.  Carmichael  do," 
asked  her  parent,  with  an  eye  to  the  prac- 
tical. 


2  so      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

"Makes  love,  principally,"  said  Nixie, 
"but  he's  going  to  make  saddle-trees  when 
he  comes  home.  Fancy  old  Gus  buckling 
down  in  his  papa's  factory." 

They  were  on  the  gang  plank  now,  and  the 
trio  above  made  a  rush  to  meet  them.  Amid 
the  babel  of  the  greetings,  and  laughter 
and  chaffing  of  the  young  people,  Mr.  Dono- 
van was  almost  forgotten. 

"What  is  it.  Daddy  dear?"  asked  Nixie,  at 
last,  "what  are  you  lifting  your  eyebrows 
at  me  for.''  Am  I  talking  too  loud,  or  is  my 
hat  on  crooked  .^" 

"Both,"  said  Mr.  Donovan,  "but  what  1 
was  trying  to  state  was  that  the  steward  with 
the  telegrams  is  calling  out  the  name  of 
Carmichael." 

A  second  later  Jane  was  tearing  open 
an  envelope.  "From  Aunt  Marcia,  of 
course,"  she  was  predicting.  "I  was  so 
afraid  she  would  feel  forlorn  and  deserted. 
It    is     probably  a    last     word    to    reassure 


me. 


But  if  the  purpose  of  that  little  yellow 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE      251 

missive  was  one  of  reassurance  it  failed  in 
its  mission. 

"Why!  Why  Angus!"  and  Jane  looked 
up  from  the  paper  and  gazed  about  in  help- 
less bewilderment.  "It  is  from  Aunt  Marcia, 
—  but  listen!"     And  in  tragic  tones  she  read: 

"Married,  December  loth,  at  9  A.  M.  in 
the  chapel  of  All  Saints'  Church,  Mrs.  Mans- 
field Kent  and  the  Rev.  Luke  B  abb  rage 
Strange.     (Signed)  M.  S.  and  L.  S." 

"There  is  more,"  said  Jane,  "there  is  a  post- 
script. It  is  signed  M.  S.  It  says,  *The 
mother  of  the  groom  was  the  only  attendant. '  " 

"Well,  what  do  you  think  of  that?"  said 
Billy  West,  the  first  to  recover.  "Say,  every- 
body get  chairs.  Pm  not  host  on  this  occa- 
sion, but  I  feel  a  need  of  support.  Think 
ofHisChubbs!" 

"Here's  another!"  said  Angus,  excitedly, 
looking  up  from  a  yellow  paper  of  his  own. 
"Listen  to  this  wire  from  old  Luke  to  me, 
will  you?  He's  calling  our  bluff  of  a  year 
ago  when  we  held  him  up  on  the  Yale  Campus. 
Come  to  think  of  it,  it  is  a  year,  just  a  year 


252      A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE 

ago  to-day.  Here's  his  wire;  *May  be  met 
at  Como  at  any  date  you  set.     L.  S. '  " 

"There's  the  bugle!"  cried  Mr.  Donovan, 
"hurry  up,  we  must  get  ashore." 

Angus  held  out  a  mighty  right  hand  to  his 
chum: 

"Bill,  old  man,"  he  said,  with  a  proprie- 
tary look  at  the  little  lady  beside  him,  "in 
that  all-star  cast,  you  seem  to  be  the  only 
one  that  failed  to  get  a  permanent  part. 
My  condolences!" 

Ten  minutes  later  Mr.  Donovan  and  Nixie 
and  Billy  West  watched  the  big  liner  back 
out  of  her  crib  and  swing  out  to  the 
open   sea. 

"I  canf  see  them  still!"  cried  Nixie  on  her 
tip-toes.  "Jane  is  waving  Gus's  cap.  I  want 
something    to    wave  —  your  bonnet,  Billy!" 

Mr.  Donovan  turned  impatiently:  "Well 
I'm  a  busy  man.  Say  your  adieux,  Nixie. 
You  return  to  Boston  to-day,  I  suppose,  Mr. 
West.?" 

The  tone  was  suggestive,  even  hopeful. 

"No,"  said  Billy  cheerfully,     "I  am  stay- 


A  COMEDY  OF  CIRCUMSTANCE       253 

ing  In  New  York  for  the  present.     The  fact 
is,  I  have  business  here." 

He  did  not  intimate  —  perhaps  it  was 
hardly  necessary  —  that  the  business  had  a 
certain  connection  with  a  permanent  part 
in  the  all-star  cast. 


THE    END 


TES  COnNXRY  UFE  PKESS,  CAKOEN  CITY,  NEW  Y0&£ 


A     000  127  076     8 


